by Royce Jordan
I am always amazed at the weather, and springtime temperatures in our great State of Texas, and how much they vary depending on what part of the state you just happen to be traveling. In April, there is never a guarantee on what type of clothing you’ll put on. Mornings could be frosty, while from mid-day on is shorts and T-shirt weather. It seems most of my early spring turkey hunts are like that.
I was a few hundred miles from home during one of those flip-flopping temperature days, driving typical speeds, when I noticed my pickup’s temperature gauge elevating to a level I’d call WHOA-SON! I pulled over on the shoulder and saw the steam before the truck even came to a stop.
Freaking Fracking! I write this because I’m not allowed to write what I really said.
I lifted the hood and discovered a hose coming out of the top of the motor, crimp attached to a metal piece, leaking all over everything. I thought to myself, Self, you’re a magnet for … well, anyway. At least I was only a few miles from town.
The nearest hill was a few hundred yards away, and cellular service was few and far between, so I had to make the best of it. I marched my pitiful hind end up the roadway and got a signal. I made the call and heard them answer “Terry’s Repair” on the other end. My worries are now 75% calmed. Terry listened to my plight, then asked me if I could find a hack saw and some 3/8 inch rubber tubing. He explained the quick fix to me right there on the side of the road. I discovered the hardest part of this repair would be getting back to my pickup. The quick fix held surprisingly well.
Terry could just as easily have told me he didn’t have the time, nor the crayons to help me out of my predicament. However, in our East Texas vernacular, that simply “ain’t” Terry Weiss.
I was fortunate enough to meet Terry in the late ’70s through a buddy who went to the same church as he. At the time, I had a ’69 Chevy step-side pickup truck, puke green (I think Chevrolet called it “mint green”) and I was running out of baling wire to keep it together and running. Terry’s shop was behind the Dairy Queen on East Fifth Street in Tyler. I was informed that Terry was the best mechanic and troubleshooter for anything with an engine. He wasn’t just a great mechanic. He ended up being a great mentor.
Terry and I visited a little while back to reminisce about some of our history. Our discussions reminded me that he maintains a philosophy like a quote from Doctor of Psychology, Carl Jung… “Everyone you meet knows something you don’t know, but need to know. Learn from them.”
It was fascinating to observe Terry in his shop environment. He maintained several mechanics that were trained “to his specifications”, and stayed in constant communication with the boss. His directions were followed to successful conclusions like a well-oiled machine. All the while, he could carry on a conversation with you about whatever, and never miss a beat.
Weiss explained that his philosophy was nurtured at an early age. He said his education at Tyler High School and the Tyler Junior College Auto Mechanics Program in the late ‘50s were his start, but the mentoring he received while working at the Packard dealership from a WWll veteran called “One Lung McClung”, a tuberculosis patient, was the influence on his life. This showed Terry that there are folks put on this planet to help whomever wants the knowledge to learn and understand. He said the man “had such patience that you just had to try to emulate him.”
I’m here to tell you…when you recognize these gifted individuals, these mentors, it would be wise if you used glue instead of Chapstick. Chances are better than average you will learn something if you’re able to keep your ears open and lips shut.
In the very early ‘80s, I was working at a “days- gone- by” sporting goods business called The Sportster. By then, Terry was already having to babysit mechanical issues on my second pickup. Terry traded with me regularly at The Sportster, where I was the fortunate student from Robert E. Lee High School selling firearms, gun gear and hunting accessories. The Sportster’s resident gun guru was Mr. Bob Sinclair, but if he wasn’t available and a firearm or reloading question needed to be answered, Terry Weiss was the ‘go-to’ guy. Terry was just a phone call away to provide the needed lesson “quick, fast, and in a hurry.”
Terry was an avid reloader for handgun ammunition, and offered to allow me access to his equipment and assist in any instruction. Having a good deal of reloading equipment and supplies at the store to sell, I jumped at the chance for this education. Terry recommended bullet dies, measures, the bullet configurations, powder, primers, lubing and loading journals, directed to the finest detail. He emphasized the importance of exacting standards, and starting with lower pressures and building up the speeds and power. He watched my progress and offered tips to simplify the process, even recommending re-priming the resized shell casing while watching TV due to the time-consuming repetitiveness of the process. Those bullets always went ‘BOOM’, and always hit the mark.
Alongside of my kinfolk and mentors of the past, Terry shares a love and appreciation of firearms passed down thru the ages: old 1911’s and 1917’s. His choice for deer hunting is a Browning BLR in .308 Winchester. I‘m better-than-average certain I own just such a rifle, made in Belgium, in just such a caliber because of our discussions about a more powerful round over the 30/30 Winchester in a lever-gun configuration.
Terry moved and re-opened his automotive repair business at 1910 Roy Road in Tyler, just east of Paluxy Drive, in the mid ‘80s. Terry maintained repair service on not only my pickup but my new wife’s vehicles, too. This was a constant and expensive endeavor, and tough on a young couple’s finances. Terry and his wife, Phyllis, who is the office manager of the operation, always seemed to have that understanding knack of how hard this was on a young couple. They didn’t have to, but they worked with my wife and I to pay for our repairs. Terry and Mrs. Weiss were always reassuring to my wife and I to pay when we could, and we made sure we would not, and did not disappoint them.
The overheated motor I described earlier wasn’t the first time I had to call Terry during a pitiful vehicle moment. I still recall a Cutlass we owned when my boys were little. We were driving to Lake DeGray in Arkansas on a scorcher of a day when, you guessed it, the car over-heated! Now, bear in mind, vehicles made before the ‘90s seemed to be easier to mess with in a pinch. However, everything was hot, kids were excitable, and I was just one word, or stupid look away from making things worse with the wife. I made phone contact with Terry and explained, the best I could, what was happening, and he offered a bit of solution. He suggested since it’s triple digit hot outside, and we were at a place where we felt good, to leave the car be for a bit, let it cool down, then remove the thermostat housing and remove or replace that defective thermostat. I completed this task, and we had no further troubles once we got water back in the radiator.
This has happened to me before with other vehicles, and I think it is quite possible the good hand of fate puts us, or at least me, in the same situation again just to see if I‘m still stupid.
Let’s keep in mind all the tricks of the trade Terry provided to me, and I would imagine thousands of others, over the years, that would have cost much more in repairs. For instance, I noticed a leak coming from the radiator of my current pickup. This is a “Bar’s Leak” fix if there ever was one, but he suggested doing a pre-mix of the solution after a complete cool down to keep the contents from “balling” up in the bottom of the radiator. There is just no telling how much free advice he has provided to people over the years. In this day and age where we seem to be pervaded by pretentious individuals who consider themselves experts requiring a “fee” to be in the same vicinity as them, Weiss shares actual expertise that is useful, solution-driven, outright educational, and expects nothing in return.
One of the most interesting attributes of a mentor is their ability to recall information related to just about anything: relationships, their trade, or hobbies for that matter. I personally have the uncanny ability to multitask. I can listen, ignore and forget all at once. I can shake your hand and forget your name in the same moment. I’ve seen me do it. This is not by choice, I might mention, and I find myself striving to overcome. Weiss does not have that problem.
I’ve known Terry and his family for a long time. When I visit with him, it reminds me of my youth at some of our family reunions, with kinfolk that learned from the best, and learned by doing, then passed the knowledge on to the new student. These mentors do what they do, because it’s the right thing to do.
Terry is an Army Veteran. His wife Phyllis, daughter Tisa and her husband Billy are some of the largest supporters of men and women of the Military and Law Enforcement that I have had the privilege to know. This is a fact I know first-hand from my Law Enforcement career of over 30 years.
One of Terry’s passions in life is to gather up, repair if needed, and give bicycles to children who need one. He has been doing this as long as I can remember. His pay for this service is in the smiles on the faces of an uncountable numbers of kids. The entire Weiss family is gracious and unwavering.
Terry Weiss is a husband, father, grandfather, friend and mentor. Although older now, he is still sharp as a tack and always sharing the un-selfish wisdom he possesses. Like an old Greek Proverb I recall from my school years … “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they will never sit in”. Mentors know it’s the right thing to do.
