After opening Doherty and Clark Tyre Service almost 45 years ago, tyre legend Frank Doherty has died.
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Mr Doherty died peacefully in hospital on Sunday after a period of ill health.
He first entered the tyre industry at the age of 14, working at Advanx Tyre Service in Armstrong Street South.
After moving between a few other tyre businesses, Mr Doherty and former schoolmate and good friend Mick Clark opened Doherty and Clark Tyre Service.
“It all happened through chats at the pub, Mick would come home and talk about how they were thinking about opening something up, but I always just laughed it off,” Clark’s wife Mary said.
Mr Doherty and Mr Clark opened their business at 95 Hertford Street Sebastopol in 1973, before moving to a bigger property a few doors down in 1983.
“We worked perfectly together,” Mr Clark said.
“He was great behind the desk with all the paperwork and I was good with the tyres.
“I saw him the week before he passed, I could never have asked for a better business partner.”
Mr Doherty retired in 2016, leaving his business to his two sons.
Outside of the business Mr Doherty was one of the founding members of Ballarat West Rotary and a continuous member with the club for 32 years and was awarded the Paul Harris Fellow Award for Community Service.
His main passion was collecting classic cars and car memorabilia.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years Maureen, his daughter Elise, his sons Brent and Justin and his much-loved seven grandchildren.
Mr Doherty’s funeral service will be at St Aloysius Catholic Church, Redan on Monday at 1.30pm.
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