Today was a sad day to say the least,Don from Dons machine in smithtown newyork lost his battle with cancer. After two years of ups and downs he dosnt have to fight anymore. There are many who know him as a fellow hot rodder as well as a accomplished machinist,engine builder,family man and dog lover.One thing I can say, I called him friend. Don was a man who lived by his word and walked his talk,It saddends me to write this because words cannot discribe what a good friend he was. He left a son of 14 and a wife that he was with since highschool. Many a racecar flew under his power,and many a hotrod roared as well. I cannot write anymore ,but if you can a prayer for don jr and maryellen his wife shure woud be nice. Thanks guys,Gary
That is really sad news. I first met Don in 1986 when my father & I moved our machine shop to a larger location in Selden LI. Don stopped in asking about a job. Immediately we knew that he was someone with a lot of talent and a teachable spirit. We just didn't have enough cash flow to cover his salary yet so we could not hire him but I told him he would hear from us soon. A few months later we had the cash flow but when I contacted him he had taken a position with Gary from NY Engine and much to my dismay he would not leave due to his loyalty to Gary for giving him the opportunity to work in an automotive machine shop. His decision was not what I wanted but it spoke, and still speaks, volumes about Don Coady's character. I would frequently tell Don over the following years than not hiring him right off was a huge regret for me, and it still is. Some engine machinists just have a real natural feel for how things should fit and how to solve problems creatively and Don was one of those machinists. May the Lord Jesus envelop Don's family in love and provide consolation in this time of sorrow and longing. God bless you Don, you were an honorable gentleman and it was my pleasure to have known you.
The Jalopy Journal
