Lee Randall, age 70, was a mechanic at Don Gooley Cadillac in St. Clair Shores for more than 30 years. But more than just occupying his work sphere, the Cadillac brand occupied his life’s passion as well; his first was a 1973 Eldorado convertible in white, and he once estimated that he’d driven around 25,000 Cadillacs in his lifetime.
A Cadillac SeVille occupies his driveway to this day.
So when the Cadillac-enthused mechanic passed away, the send-off given by his friends and family was nothing short of “the Cadillac of funerals.” The Detroit Free Press reports that Frank Galli, a coworker and friend of 50 years, decorated Mr. Randall’s silver casket with Cadillac emblems that he’d collected throughout his life and career.
Needless to say, Mr. Randall’s last trip was in a Cadillac hearse. “One Piece At A Time” by Johnny Cash played at his funeral, a song about a man who sneaks a Cadillac out of the factory at which he works, one piece at a time, and then assembles the car. Mr. Randall’s son, Robert, admitted that perhaps some details of the funeral might have been a tad excessive for some, but he thinks his father would be pleased nonetheless.
“I striped everything he owns,” said 73 year-old friend Galli. “He was a cool guy. The boys wanted me to do it. It made me feel good that I could do something for his last trip.”
Comments
A really good story.