By Deena Sherman –
One of the hardest working men in Aurora just retired. Mike Goding, second generation owner of Godings Marathon at 1150 Prairie Street, just sold one of my favorite family-owned businesses in Aurora. Those of us who have, for decades, appreciated having an honest mechanic and friend in Mike Goding, are thrilled to see him finally have time to do some serious bass fishing. He deserves it.
In 1987 Mike took over the business his dad, George Goding, started in 1956. It was a true, old school service station that fixed all kinds of cars, patched more tires than they ever could count, helped pump gas if you needed help, and would always take time to talk about community news. They knew their customers by name.
I asked Mike about the best part of the job. He confirmed what I suspected. It was his relationships with customers and employees.
“I worked with two rock stars,” said Mike. His mechanic, Bill Hollmier, had worked for Mike more than 20 years. He was an absolute magician with car repair. He could do a timing belt on a PT Cruiser (which means taking just about everything under the hood apart to get to it, and then working at some impossible angles). And he could do it with his hands half frozen in the dead of Winter.
Steve Ruby came to Godings Marathon about 6½ years ago from Hipp Temporary Skills, another Aurora business. “It was sweet,” said Mike. “I didn’t have to train [Steve]!”
Steve is managing the station through the transition and will continue with the new owners. It will give some continuity to longtime customers, seeing Steve’s familiar and friendly face at the register.
I worried about Mike over the years. He worked long hours. He had difficulties he didn’t deserve. He was kind to a fault. He was closed Sundays, yet always seemed to be at the station working on something that day, too. Anyone who has a family business, knows its a 24/7 proposition. Mike summed it up with, “the station never leaves your mind. The worry is what kills you.” He confirmed that he was, indeed, at the store at all hours. I suggested that his first order of business in retirement was catching up a whole lot of lost sleep.
The new owners, CB JS Real Estate, will turn the place into a Sunoco, Mike said. He and Steve were thrilled to hear that they plan to use businesses here for the renovation and want to continue being an integral part of the local community. “There’s too little of that these days,” said Mike, who remembered his father’s preaching the importance of partnering with other local businesses. “I would like to see these guys succeed,” he said.
We congratulate Mike Goding on his retirement and many years of service to Aurora and look forward to the next chapter to be written at the corner of Prairie and Terry Streets in Aurora.