When all else fails鈥�
In our lives, we are sometimes privileged to interact with exceptional individuals; maybe few, maybe many.
They may impress us, amaze us, baffle us, or even enrage us. They may fade from our memory or return there at any time.
One such character that I still remember fondly is an uncle to my late brother-in- law. Oakley Hall was a true Southerner who migrated with most of his family from Roanoke, Va., to this area.
Had Oakley been born to wealth, he would probably have spent his declining years resting on his laurels as a pioneer in science, medicine or at the least he would’ve received a Nobel Prize for creative engineering. But he died a humble man, famous only to family and friends who knew him well and shared stories of his rare ability for problem solving.
What I remember most about Oakley is the many times and in many different circumstances he was called to solve problems that seemed impossible to mere mortals. “When all else fails, call Oak” was a phrase I heard frequently while I was helping my brother-in-law shoehorn a replacement engine into his Lincoln Zephyr. The job required a lot of custom refitting and alignment.
I remembered that advice years later when a stubborn fuel pump rod would not release from a Chevy engine block at one of my Connellsville stations. Even a few of the Chevy-wise hot rodders tried unsuccessfully to get the firmly implanted rod out. It looked like the only path was to pull the engine out of the car to access the stubborn part. In desperation I said, “I’m going to call Oakley”.
In about an hour, Oakley appeared, sporting his customary half cigarette and a pair of pliers. “We’ve tried vice grips, channel locks, even language that would make a pirate blush. Nothing works,” I told him.
“Well, I’ll just go take a look at it” he said.
Oakley walked to the car, about halfway out the driveway amid a few snickers and a couple of “You’re wasting your time” comments.
He bent over the fender and only a few minutes later, walked back carrying the ornery fuel pump rod.
While it seemed like he could repair anything, his forte was electronics. Oakley was heavily into the CB radio fad of the 1970’s. He could repair or even rebuild the units. My brother- in-law told me his uncle had built all manner of electronic equipment, even televisions from junked parts.
I had bought a CB radio, secured my license and installed the unit in my truck. It worked well for a long while, but it began to garble all the messages. When I called Oak, he responded with, “Sounds like a resistor, bring it out.”
I met him in his brother’s driveway, and within minutes he had parts of my radio all over the floor, truck seat and dashboard. It was beginning to get dark, and I was skeptical he’d get it together.
Oakley just smiled and kept soldering things.
Before long the radio cracked on, and KD5414, (Rusty Bolt) was back on the CB airwaves. There are many stories of Oakley’s unique ability to solve intricate and frustrating problems, mechanical or electrical.
So, “When all else fails, call Oak.”
Big 10-4 on that!
Roy Hess Sr. is a retired teacher and businessman from Dawson.