I have a story you will never believe

[Dialtone76]

Words... they just seem to fail right now..Nothing seems to sound right to say.

There is a lot here in this story. It is the type of story Hollywood wishes it could script. I don't know ya Mike, never met ya, all I know are the words on my screen. Even so, I feel myself changed as a result of your thread. Reading this story of kindness, and how the community came together is inspiring. The events that followed, the bonds you were able to form, and how they keep you going no matter what life threw at ya.... it's the kind of stuff that compels me to believe in the triumph of the human spirit. While no doubt you are who you are, you did your parents proud, and people who are in your life already know how special you are. It is amazing to me how the part of the story I was lucky enough to stumble upon began with a GN coming into your life. Had that not happened, no doubt your story would have unraveled differently, and we likely would never have been aware of how amazing of a person you are.

Every car has a story, but not all of them can actually impact as many lives as your GN already has. I feel compelled to change my own life and how I interact with those around me, and I know I will re-tell your story every chance I get.

Thank you Mike for sharing all the ups and downs of your journey and I wish you godspeed with what happens next.

 

[seedling]

This is terrible news! Tragic is the word! Although there are no words to describe the emptiness that comes with a situation such as this. However, I just pray for God's Blessings for you and your family and I pray that His hand may comfort you Mike!!

God Bless!!

 

[TurboTGuy]

Prayers sent for Mike and Family.

What a moving story.

 

[geno]

We lost a good man,father and friend to me today.Im proud to have been part of his life and thankful i was his friend. Im going to tell Mike his father has a legacy here on Turbo Buick that needs to keep going because he gave him the Buick... This is what his son wrote on facebook today.


This morning at 9:07 am I lost my hero my best friend the one I did everything with. He was the best father I could ever imagine having. Always looked out for me always knew the right advice and always knew how to put me in my place if I had been being a pain. He was such a giving person to everyone he knew. He would give anything to help someone in need. I hope that one day I can be as strong and as giving as he was. Better yet I hope I can be half the father he was. I just want you all to know he loved each and everyone of you. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers through these tough times. I know now that he is gonna have the best seat in the house on Saturday nights now and he will be watching over the entire jr44 team and evergreen speedway and we will make him proud each and every weekend. He loved being at that race track with his family better yet watching the awesome racing that gets put on at that facility. I love you papa and I can't wait to see you again thank you for everything you ever did. Your the most amazing father ever.

I love you buddy
Keep your eye on me.
Mikey jr

 

[TR Custom Parts]

Was fearing the worst when I got notification of a new post to this thread. So sad. Sympathies to his family and friends.

 

[rmar]

No words......RIP my friend.

 

[EVIL]

Condolences.

Very sad indeed.

D

 

[charlief1]

This is truely sad, but he's in a much bettter place. I wish I'd have met him but sometmes thing happen and we have no control. I hope to see his son join up and make the car what was hoped for by Mike. RIP.

 

[Bruce Urie]

Was dreading this.....really hurts my heart when the best of people leave this earth too early....Mike set a pure example of how love of his fellow human beings should be exercised on a daily basis......losing his loving wife, well, that was bad enough, very tough, but he was very brave....took it like the true, God loving man he was........my God, what a fine human being he was....I feel so humble when I think of Mike. I can only wish I'll be half the man he was........and he raised a fine, fine son. One who'll be very proud the rest of his life for such a Dad as Mike.......

The loving, touching, however, so tearful words his son said about him is the true testament of what kind of man Mike was.......that alone is worth more than the earth itself. That alone is what we should all think about and try to follow in this very, very short life we, all here on the forum, have.......always be a good caring person from now on.....in honor of a true example of a man of God.

His family has my most sorrowful condolences.....as of now, I'm just so tore up. God bless you, Mike and the rest of his family.

Bruce '87 Grand National

 

[gnnorthwest]

I remember the first time I met Mike, He towed a Denali with a bad fuel pump to our shop the day before we officially opened. I had 2 GN's parked in the lot. Mike went ...well... he went Full Squirrel !!! "Those are Grand Nationals! That's one of my Dream Cars!". He went on and on how he always wanted a GN . It was obvious he knew exactly what a GN was and meant and was excited to learn that there was a local shop where he could check out GN's... That was May 24th 2010.
A few weeks later I hear about this guy who was given a GN?!? and posting about it on the forums, we messaged him offering any assistance we could . The very next day June 19th, Mike pokes his head in my office door and says " I'm that guy you messaged about helping out with my Gn..." I was totally blown away, how perfect!

Mike's friend JB repaired the crackhead induced damage and got it driving.Mike was absolutely adamant about not modding the car. No alky, turbo, boost controller, nothing. He only did a few things and those were to ensure the safety of Simmerz. I think all we did was a pump, hotwire, chip & some maintenance, Believe me I tried to convince him to at least put alky on it and turn up the boost. Mike wouldn't have anything to do with it.

Mike came by the shop a few weeks ago , I offered again to toss an alky kit on her right then and there. Nope! No Way! It was good to see him enjoying life and driving his GN , I will miss you Mike, The world was a better place with you here.

Oh and for the record, Mike Marthaller beat me in a street race. That was probably the one and only time he ever really stood on it. I'm sure he thought it was the one time that it was worth it. He was right. I will never live that down.
R.I.P Mike
We Love You.


Dan Miller

 

[dragrazor]

I am sad, and frustrated at the same time. Very sad how his life played out in the end. Makes you appreciate what you have. Makes you humble too. Good people get taken away from this earth way too early while scum lives forever. I hope god has plans for this man because we sure needed him on earth. My condolences to the family. Lets remember him for how he lived, not how he died. It was cloudy today in my neck of the woods, i bet it was mike doing a burnout.

R.I.P. Mike

 

[O SO LO]

My sincere condolences to Mike's family- R.I.P. my friend!!

 

[geno]

I just got off the phone with Mike Jr and he has agreed to post on this thread sometime in the near future. I told him its part of his dads legacy and he agreed..He is a nice kid and i never understood how he became such a nice young man with a complete squirrel for a father LOL.... Mike had a personalized lic plate that said taz i believe. I started calling him Squirrel and he like it so much he show up at the shop one day with a new personalized plate the said Squirrel..LOL..

 

[Dsmxsteve]

So, I have read this thread for several hours after I got off of work today, the first 10 pages amazed me about the man named Mike, whom I never met. It just read like a novel that I couldn't put down. Two hours later, My Wife and I are bawling our eyes out. She came home as I just finished reading page 19. I had tears welled up in my eyes and she knows I am not an emotional person. She had thought someone I knew died because I couldn't even get words out because I was so choked up. She tried comforting me, and eventually I was able to explain why I was in the emotional state I was in. I tried telling her Mike's backstory about the GN and Mr. S., I just had to let her read from page 17 on, for herself. Here we are now, 2 hours later just blown away and emotionally exhausted from the story of a man we never met.

 

[Dsmxsteve]

Why do we always lose all of the good ones?

 

[strungout6]

It goes without saying that the GN community along with the world just got alittle darker with the passing of Mike. Before the recent turn of events I recommended to my Father to read the most incredible story I have ever seen, it starts out about a car and the passion of one man. Then it changes the reader and touches ones soul. It makes you think about the bigger things in life, not Injector sizes or converter stall speeds but the next breath and possibly having a beer with your Father for no other reason than to say I Love you. It would be a huge disservice to the world if this story is not made available to everyone. Mikes legacy is more than a car, its a way of life. A guidebook on how to be a wonderful person.

 

[TR Custom Parts]

Just curious, does anyone know if Mr Simmerz is still alive? Don't remember any recent mentions of him. I am sure Mike got him a few extra years of life with all his help.

 

[geno]

Dont know what ever happened to Mr Simmerz ? I will ask his son and like i said Mike Jr will be posting in the future..

 

[Bruce Urie]

For those of you who would like to send a sympathy card to Mike's family, here is his business address, which he gave to me through all the years of talking with one another. It goes without saying, this is really tragic.

Mike Marthaller, Sr.
American Towing
3328 Smith Avenue
Everett
Washington 98201

I'm sure his son and his family would appreciate thoughts and prayers in a card or two.

RIP, Mike, my friend. You'll be forever missed. Mikey, Jr....you sure had the best of Dads.

Bruce '87 Grand National

 

[geno]

Sorry to say but that business i gone but if anybody local wants to attend his celebration of life this Saturday here is the address. A small group of GN,s will be attending with Mikes GN in front. I asked if i could have some of Mikes ashes to pack in my para chute. Me and Mike may have even talked about it at one time.. I would be cool if people the use Facebook wrote on his girlfriends wall letting her know people care that she has never meet.https://www.facebook.com/shelley.rocha.7?fref=pb&hc_location=profile_browser
Please join us as we celebrate Mike Marthaller Sr

Saturday March 12th

Service starts at 10 am

North Shore Church
5700 23rd Dr W, Everett, WA 98203

After the service there will be a potluck style lunch.
Please bring a dish and a memory to share.