Joe Boydston, the man who ran Joe’s Auto until his death in a motorcycle accident in 2018, was a man of the people.
Like most mechanics, he worked hard for his money. His store on Big Horn Avenue not only had other people’s cars that his mechanics worked on, but his own car was there as well. It wasn’t just any car, it was a supercharged 1975 Chevy Camaro with a 454 cubic inch engine, which meant it was very fast. The Ford Mustang didn’t stand a chance.
The Camaro sat there as long as it could, gathering dust. Its jet-black paintwork still shone, as customers passed by to admire it. However, it wasn’t meant for just anyone but riders like Boydston who could go all the way and not flinch a single muscle, those kind of people are few and far between.
Joe’s Auto has been serving the community for over 20 years now. His legacy and the hard work ethic he instilled in his employees like Dalton Rector lives on. Rector has worked for Joe since 2014 and is currently the chief mechanic.
“He was my father and mentor from Wyoming, I miss him everyday,” Rector said.
Rector, 35, has been working on cars since he was 14. They also have a small memorial in the store for Joe, with a picture of him surrounded by a tire and a wrench.
Every year since Joe’s passing, they host a luncheon at the store in his memory. This year lunch is Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for friends and clients. People will have the chance to eat hamburgers or hot dogs and share a memory of Joe.
The world will always need a mechanic, even in the worst of times. Many people depend on transportation. At a time when we honor those on the front lines of this pandemic, let’s not forget the man who changes our oil or checks our brakes.
He was buried in Riverside Cemetery, his headstone on one side has a photo of his beloved 1975 Camaro, with an inscription that reads…”Super Charged in life”.
