Editorial: Frenchy Downey and Brad Shelp set example as great citizens well into their 90s
Photos by Tom Rivers: Everett “Frenchy” Downey is shown in May 11, 2024 when he was close to retiring after selling and repairing televisions and appliances for 60 years in Albion. He retired on May 25, 2024, his 94th birthday.
Today is Election Day, when many people go to the polls believing it is a strong sense of citizenship duty. Yes, it is. It’s a good thing to vote, especially if people research candidates and issues, and make an informed choice.
But the great acts of citizenship are in how we conduct our daily lives, being a good neighbor and using our talents and resources to build a stronger community.
Orleans County in the past week lost two amazing citizens, generous gentleman who were very active well into their 90s.
Everett “Frenchy” Downey died at age 96 on Oct. 28. His friend, Brad Shelp, was 94 and died on Oct. 31. These two may be the best examples of the power of showing up, day after day for decades. They were both people you could count on.
Downey worked up until his 94th birthday at Frenchy’s TV & Appliance on Ridge Road in Gaines. He sold and repaired televisions and appliances for 60 years. He had a remarkable work ethic and an ability to connect with everyone.
He was slowed at age 93 when he hurt his back moving a freezer. But Frenchy continued to be a steady presence at his showroom and to make some house calls to give extra life to a stove, refrigerator, washing machine or another appliance.
“I have loved what I’ve been doing every day,” Downey said during a 2024 interview at his business at 13576 Ridge Rd. “I got to know a lot of people. I always have thought of my customers as my friends. I want to help them if I can.”
Frenchy Downey is shown in May 2024 with a 1946 Taylorcraft airplane, which he has had since 1968. Downey also built his own plane. He earned his pilot’s license in 1968 after his barbershop quartet broke up and he had more free time. He pursued a love of flying that he kept up until age 93.
Frenchy was fascinated by aviation and built his own airplanes. He was active in the Albion Rotary Club and received Rotary’s highest award, the Paul Harris Fellow. He also sang in a barbershop quartet that won national awards.
He and his wife Dorothy raised three children. Dorothy worked with Frenchy for about 40 years, until her passing in 2005. She was the bookkeeper. After her death, Frenchy took on the dreaded task of doing all the paperwork for his business. That was one part of the business he despised.
Brad Shelp drives his Bell Air convertible from 1954 in the Albion Strawberry Festival on June 8, 2024. He gave a ride to Mike and Faith Smith, who were grand marshals in the parade.
Brad Shelp was a fixture in the community for many decades. He was a well-known car salesman, working part-time through his 80s and early 90s. He took great pride in his classic cars, and he often drove his 1954 Bell Air convertible in the Albion Strawberry Festival parade.
Shelp served as the parade chairman, even in his 90s. It was a daunting challenge to organize about 50 parade entries, and space them out so the marching bands weren’t too close together.
Shelp was a key member of the Albion Rotary Club and maintained perfect attendance for well over 65 years. If he was on vacation or couldn’t make the Albion meeting, he found clubs in other communities to make up and keep that attendance streak alive.
He did more than show up for meetings. Shelp was active in the club’s fundraisers and service projects, whether preparing food for the St. Patrick’s Day ham dinner or hauling away bags of garbage during the spring cleanup day. He was integral member of the Rotary fishing derby for many years, an event that brought in nearly 1,000 participants and raised about $5,000 for community projects.
Brad joined the Army in 1954 and served in Korea. When he returned home, he joined his father at the Albion Motor Company, a General Motors dealership. He met his wife when she was looking for a car in 1956. Brad proved a persuasive salesman.
Brad and Pat were married for 63 years and had two sons. Pat was a beloved teacher and school librarian at Albion. She was 86 when she passed away in 2021.
Brad Shelp and his wife Pat are shown in 2012 during Halloween. The Shelps had a big display at their home on Meadowbrook Drive, and they welcomed kids and their parents to a take a break with hot cider and doughnuts.
Many Albion people may best know Brad and his late wife Pat as the best stop for trick or treating. The Shelps had an elaborate setup on Meadowbrook Drive, with orange lights up their driveway. They turned their garage into a welcome center, offering parents a chance to sit down for a few minutes and enjoy some hot cider and doughnuts. The kids received bags that were stuffed with treats.
The lives of Frenchy Downey and Brad Shelp are examples for how to make a difference in our community by showing up every day. These two men were very dependable, anchors in the Albion community for many decades.
