Mile 0.3 - VW Jesus
Bradford W. Hathaway 4/6/40 - 11/20/22
I was (and am) fortunate to have a father that was present and very much a part of my life. He was the definition of give-you-the-shirt off his back, one of the funniest people I've ever met, his kindness was probably his biggest fault and he trusted everyone without question. He was a humble but proud man, husband and father. He was a MacGuyver that could find a solution to most problems and use what was available to him when spending money wasn't an option. He was proud of the things he had and/or built, and although he wasn't someone that would express it through words, I know he was proud of me and my brother.
Quick backstory - he grew up in Fall River, MA, joined the Coast Guard, worked a few jobs when got back but then got hired at the Fall River Motor Sales dealership as a salesperson. Knowing him makes this fact very funny, but after a short period he transitioned into the parts department. He spent the next 40'ish years running Volkswagen parts rooms for different dealerships until he retired.
When it came to part numbers, he knew them all. His friends would call him up and ask him for obscure p/n's and my brother and I still beleive they were just testing him. Ultimately, his knowledge of the VW aircooleds led to his nickname of VW Jesus. (thanks Kyle Duquesne).
He always had projects and based on his notebooks there was an endless supply of money and fabrication that we never knew about :). I think his real passion was his sandrail. A rear engine, 6cyl, Covair-powered tube chassis that weighed less than 1,000lbs and he would compete in sand drag events and do hill climbs. He couldn't afford to build the fastest car, but I do think he just loved the hobby and that's what matters. His last race came when he had just turned 60 but ended up rolling the rail. He had some bumps / bruises but was thankfully unharmed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAUeNNzWW8o
He accomplished many things during his lifetime, was an incredible resource and taught us more than he will ever know. I don't think I took him for granted and believe that I was aware of how lucky we were that he was our dad. I have been able to appreciate most of his characteristics as an adult, father and husband. He always put our mother and us first -no matter what. He never questioned it, he never complained (that we heard), he was just there for whatever we needed. The stories, memories and lessons are endless. I'm very lucky to have some recordings / videos with him that I can re-visit from time to time such as this podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-020-the-hathaways/id1539170529?i=1000513898386
He lived a good, modest life and I think of him often, but I know he's watching over us. #vwjesus