1946-2024: Richard Hudson ran neighborhood tire shop for 36 years

Richard Hudson was known by many for his popular tire shop on West Story Road in Winter Garden. But for a generation of boys in the 1970s and ’80s, he was known as “Coach” for their youth baseball, football and basketball leagues in Winter Garden.

Richard Darrell Hudson, a lifelong Winter Garden resident, died Sunday, May 5, after a brief illness. He was 77.

Richard Hudson and his wife, Annette, opened Hudson Tire in November 1987 in Winter Garden. The business started out in one bay of Traywick’s Garage on North Vineland Road near West Colonial Drive. In 1998, as business expanded, they moved the company to its present location at 10 W. Story Road.

His son, Regie Hudson, said he was a giving man and always tried to help people who didn’t have the money upfront to pay for services.

“We used to do a lot of credit,” Regie Hudson said. “Even when we opened the business, we opened with a handshake with (banker) Jerry Baker; there was no paperwork.”

In Hudson Tire’s early days, the company started with four jacks, two jack stands, one air gun, one tire changer and one wheel balancer.

“It was Dad by himself for a week,” Regie Hudson said. “He said, ‘Find a job, and I’ll call you when I need you.’ That lasted about a week, and he said he couldn’t do it alone.”

So father and son worked together for several decades.

Carolyn Torres has been employed at Hudson Tire for about 12 years and said Richard Hudson was an easy-going boss and was honest and expected the same honesty from his employees.

“He made the guys do the right work, he made them tell the truth,” Torres said. “If you said you went into the dealership and they said you needed four tires and all you needed was a $13 tire repair, he would tell you. He was a very honest person.”

Many people made similar comments on Facebook following Richard Hudson’s death.

WINTER GARDEN NATIVE

Richard Hudson and his twin brother, Ronnie Farrell Hudson, were born Nov. 24, 1946, to the late Lonnie and Fannie Lou (Sanders) Hudson. They were the last set of twins delivered by Dr. Albert Gleason, and they entered this world in the family home on County Road 545.

Richard Hudson attended Winter Garden Elementary and Lakeview High schools.

He met Annette while the two were students at Lakeview. They were married in 1963 and were together 62 years when he died.

Regie Hudson said his father was diagnosed with terminal cancer two days before Thanksgiving but didn’t share the information with anyone other than Regie.

“He said he was retiring and for me to take (the business) and run with it,” Regie Hudson said. “He kind of stayed home. He came up (to the shop) every once in a while to say hello. Two weeks before he passed, he got Mom to bring him to the shop. He sat on his stool for a few minutes and then said, ‘I’m ready to go.’”

Richard Hudson grew up with a love for fishing and often had a fishing pole in his hands throughout adulthood.

In the mid-1970s and early ’80s, he started coaching boys through Little League baseball, Wildcat football and a local basketball league when many of the programs were run through the Winter Garden YMCA. Many of the boys he coached attended Tildenville and Maxey elementary schools. Of course, Regie was on those teams too.

“Our baseball team, once a month, he would take us to Krystal in Orlando,” Regie Hudson said. “We all sat in the back of a pickup truck and drove all the way to Krystal, and he would buy everyone Krystal burgers.”

When Regie Hudson started coaching his son in baseball, his dad was right there to help.

“He was like a pitching machine, pitching to all the kids,” Regie Hudson said. “He loved it. It was good that he was able to win a couple championships.”

'AS HONEST AS THE DAY WAS LONG'

Winter Garden Mayor John Rees was one of Richard Hudson’s closest friends, and he had known him since he was a young boy. The two coached Little League at the same time, and their teams often played each other. The two men and their wives had dinner together regularly.

“Just a super, super person,” Rees said. “You could always count on Richard. He was as honest as the day was long. If you went up there (to Hudson Tire) and you needed something … he’d take care of it. If you didn’t need it, he would tell you.

“He cared about our town, he really cared about Winter Garden and the direction and what was going on,” Rees said. “He thought about running for commission two or three times, but I think because of his work load he decided not to. He would have been a good commissioner.

“Richard was intelligent,” Rees said. “He was smart. He ran a good business.

“You just couldn’t find someone who cared more about his community,” Rees said. “He was just a good, good honest person. You were just proud to have him as a friend.”

Richard and Annette Hudson attended Freewill Baptist Church, in Winter Garden. Richard Hudson also was a former member of the West Orange Jaycees organization and helped put in the original Kiddie Korral children’s playground at Newton Park near the boat launch.

Richard Hudson was preceded in death by his twin brother, Ronnie Farrell Hudson, and brothers, Paul Hudson and Carl Hudson. He is survived by his wife, Annette; son, Regie (Kim), Winter Garden; brother, J.W. Hudson, Winter Garden; sister, Linda Scarbrough, Winter Garden; and grandchildren, Cody and Jordan.

Family and friends gathered to remember Richard Hudson at a funeral service Saturday, May 11, at Collison Carey Hand Funeral Home. Pastor David Braland handled the services. The burial took place at Winter Garden Cemetery, followed by a reception at First Baptist Church Winter Garden.