Ralph H. Childers

Ralph Childers (1935 – 2012) Founded Rumble Seat Motors Born in a two-room cabin in Wayne County, Kentucky, on a cold November morning during the Depression, Ralph Childers’ wealth consisted of the love of his parents and grandparents. His mother said she cradled him in her arms under the cover to keep him from freezing, and when she lifted the quilts, she could see his breath in the cold room. A tragedy befell Ralph’s family in 1945 while they lived in Ohio where his family had moved around 1940. His dad, Charlie Childers, was killed in the Pacific, when his ship was torpedoed by the Japanese, leaving 4 young children fatherless. Ralph was 9 years old, but this loss became the catalyst for his intense interest in WWII as an adult. He even joined the LST Association and sought out survivors of his dad’s LST 577. He learned as much as he could about life on the ship and was told by survivors that his dad, a gifted musician, entertained his shipmates by playing the banjo. Ralph was an active member of SAG, an organization of veterans devoted to the study of military history. This was one child of the rural South who was highly motivated to improve his circumstances. In 1951, before he was even 16 years old, he left high school in Monticello and went in search of a job in Ohio. He took small jobs before he finally found good pay as a lathe operator in Louisville, KY. Now he was making money that allowed him to indulge his goal: he bought a ¬¬¬’49 Buick. Buicks were always his favorite cars throughout years of collecting. He said he had often walked past a Buick showroom when he was a little boy in Norwood, Ohio, and that was the beginning of his lifelong dream. In the Army in Germany (1957-58) where he operated an American Forces Network radio station, he took the GED and enrolled in Univ. of Maryland courses. He discovered he had a flair for public speaking. He was photographed and honored in the armed forces newspaper Stars and Stripes for his first major speech, controversial because he argued for racial equality. He met the love of his life, Harriet, at a church picnic in Jamestown, KY in August of 1959 just as she was about to begin student teaching at Lafayette High in Lexington. One year later, they were married. (Not surprisingly, their honeymoon in Washington, DC coincided with an antique car meet in Virginia that Ralph did not want to miss.) He wanted more than his BA in Counseling at UK, so he applied for and received a National Institute of Mental Health scholarship at the Kent School of Social Work at University of Louisville. After 2 years at U of L and a year working at the UK Medical Center, he was now ready to join Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty. He became a Community Action Program Director over several rural counties in Kentucky before he came to Atlanta in 1967 to work for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Delinquency Prevention. He was passionate enough about equal rights to place an “I Have A Dream” license plate on the front of his car. He eventually moved to the Office of Aging as Deputy Director. When he became eligible to take early retirement, he decided he needed to follow his dream of a full-time antique car business. Rumble Seat Motors was begun in 1972 in Chamblee, but not until he purchased property at the intersection of Lawrenceville Hwy and N. Druid Hills Rd in 1978 did the business really soar. With the help of his wife, Harriet, and best friend and car enthusiast, Ernest “Bun” Sikes, he led an exciting life of buying and selling antique cars all over the US, Canada, England and Sweden. Ralph was in his element. The little boy who dreamed of owning a Buick had become an expert on vintage cars. He judged car shows, traveled extensively, taught his kids to drive all types of vehicles and made sure they had something interesting to drive throughout their teen years and beyond. When he sold his property on N. Druid Hills he moved his family and the business to Historic Roswell where he continued to buy and sell cars until Alzheimer’s forced his retirement. After a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, he is survived by his adoring family: his wife, Harriet Ann Aaron Childers, his children and their spouses, Mark and Susan Childers of Acworth, Leigh Ann and Jimmy Livaditis of Atlanta and Kristin Childers and Jeff Joyce of Atlanta. Six loving grandchildren: John and Daniel Childers, John, Lucas and Anastasia Livaditis and Juliet Joyce. Ralph was predeceased by his parents, Charlie and Leva Childers and his brother, Perry Robert Childers of Panama City, FL. He is also survived by his 2 sisters: Beulah Crawford of Kokomo, IN and Joy Masengale of Monticello, KY. The family wishes to thank the dedicated staff of the Veranda of Roswell and Journey Hospice who became our second family during his illness. Ralph was known for his concern for those in need. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made online to The Atlanta Community Food Bank at http://www.acfb.org The Childers family will receive friends on Sunday, December 9 from 3-6 PM at Northside Chapel in Roswell.

Ralph H. Childers

November 16, 1935 - December 6, 2012