The Good Life - January/February 2014
The areas premier men’s magazine featuring inspirational men in our community. Covering a variety of topics including local heroes, fathers, sports and advice for men.
The areas premier men’s magazine featuring inspirational men in our community. Covering a variety of topics including local heroes, fathers, sports and advice for men.
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As the days turned into weeks<br />
and the weeks marched forward, a<br />
year passed and Del was given an<br />
opportunity he knows was his very<br />
own brass ring. His radiator repair<br />
shop boss and owner of the small<br />
Harley-Davidson dealership, where<br />
Del was also repairing motorcycle<br />
engines, asked Del if he would<br />
consider going to the Harley-<br />
Davidson Service School. Surprised<br />
and excited about his future<br />
prospects, Del accepted the offer.<br />
Once the application was submitted<br />
and Del was accepted to the Harley<br />
Service School, plans for the trip and<br />
stay in Milwaukee were made.<br />
Everything was falling into place.<br />
Del had two good jobs, he was in<br />
love with the girl of his choice and<br />
now he was set to learn everything<br />
he possibly could about Harley-<br />
Davidson motorcycles, putting his<br />
career choice on track for the future.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re was just one thing that had<br />
slipped Del Hofer’s memory that<br />
might cause a bit of a problem: Del<br />
and his fiancée, Renee Spargo, were<br />
to be married within the same time<br />
frame as the Harley-Davidson Service<br />
School program.<br />
Problem? What problem? Del<br />
and Renee were married as planned.<br />
As for their honeymoon, well, that<br />
too was now “planned.” Milwaukee<br />
is a lovely place in the middle of<br />
<strong>February</strong>; at least that’s what Del told<br />
Renee, and he swears to it even today,<br />
some 50-plus years later.<br />
graduation from<br />
service school<br />
Photo submitted by: Del HOfer<br />
32<br />
CLOSING THE CIRCLE OF FATE<br />
As another year passed quickly,<br />
Del was once again shown “the light”<br />
of fate when his boss at the Harley<br />
Dealership took him aside one day<br />
and asked, “Would you consider<br />
buying me out of the motorcycle<br />
business?” As shocked as he felt, Del<br />
knew this was more than fate simply<br />
winking at him. Without batting an<br />
eye, he accepted, and the deal for him<br />
to take over the small shop with little<br />
inventory and only a few motorcycles<br />
was signed. But where would he<br />
go? His soon-to-be ex-boss didn’t<br />
want the motorcycle shop anywhere<br />
near his radiator repair business.<br />
Claiming not to like motorcycles,<br />
and “motorcycle people” even less,<br />
he wanted Del to move the Harley-<br />
Davidson dealership elsewhere.<br />
Having just signed the agreement<br />
to buy the Harley-Davidson<br />
dealership for $2,500, Del wanted<br />
to find a good place to relocate that<br />
wasn’t expensive, yet had the square<br />
footage he needed to work on engines<br />
and display the motorcycles he had<br />
for sale.<br />
Like sirens to the sea merchants,<br />
the perfect location sang to Del: the<br />
same motorcycle shop that was only<br />
two blocks from where he grew up in<br />
Huron.<br />
WHEN THE STARS ALIGN<br />
Del rented the same store space<br />
for the next 10 years. In 1971, as<br />
his business had expanded and<br />
his friendship deepened with John<br />
Davidson (grandson of the original<br />
founder), Del was offered a larger
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