82 and no plans to Retire

When I spotted this on the Ford website I was blown away, Frick Odom has been working at a dealership for 60 years and he is deaf! The next time someone in you shop starts complaining about their back, joints or other pain, show them this:

FRICK ODOM: DEDICATED TO FORD AND FAMILY FOR 60 YEARS
By Jessica Thiringer, FORD World

DEARBORN, Dec. 21, 2006 -- By some standards, Frick Odom has worked long enough to retire twice. The 82-year-old mechanic at Albany (Ga.) Lincoln-Mercury, deaf since early childhood, has been on the job for more than six decades. He started in 1944 when he was 20 years old, before the end of World War II.

"We're pretty sure he came with the building," jokes Bill Chaffin, general manager, Albany Lincoln-Mercury. "Frick is absolutely amazing. He can do anything."

Odom's youngest son, Eddie, wanted to honor his father for his long career, and also for the impact he's had on his family and the many people whose lives he's touched. "He has a heart of gold and will help anyone who asks," said Eddie Odom. "He dedicated himself and his whole life to the dealership and worked to provide for his family. The focus was always on us."

To make his point, Eddie Odom wrote to Ford Chairman Bill Ford and President and CEO Alan Mulally. "I really wanted to write a letter because my dad works so hard and enjoys his career so much. It's such an accomplishment, working there for 62 years," he said. His father received personal notes from both men, thanking him for his lifelong service.

"Your commitment to Ford Motor Company, our products and your dealership are an inspiration to all those who know you," wrote Bill Ford. "You have served as a mentor and role model to generations of employees and customers."

Mulally says that Odom "continues to lead by example, showing what we all at Ford want to be about."

Odom, born Friedson L. Odom in 1924, learned the basics of mechanics while working on his family farm during summer breaks from Cave Springs School for the Deaf, now known as...

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