10-4 Magazine September 2024

10-4 Magazine / September 2024 55 took her to Taco Bell that day, but she eventually realized he was a sweet and caring man. Together since 1992, they got married in 2000, and went on to have and raise two amazing kids – their daughter Emily (22) and son Liam (19). When we say “Mike never met a stranger” it is really true. He had the gift of gab and could sell ice to an Eskimo! He was fiercely loyal to family, friends, Canon cameras, and his beloved Toyota vehicles. He always put family first, and never missed things like soccer games, band recitals, orchestra, and field trips, which he often volunteered to chaperone or coach. He tried never to miss a wedding, funeral, anniversary, or bir thday, and if anyone was in need, including strangers, he was always the first to step up. He lived by the philosophy that if he could make a difference, that was what he was going to do. Being a devout catholic, Mike went to catholic schools when growing up, and it was impor tant to him that they get married in a catholic church, that their kids get baptized and confirmed in the faith, and to have a “home” church, which was where his traditional funeral mass was held. St. Mary Cathedral in Lafayette is a beautiful church that was built in 1866, and it provided a peaceful and comfor ting place for Mike’s final service to be held on August 13, 2024. Surrounded by family and friends, Mike’s casket was loaded on the back of a Peterbilt, and then a small convoy of trucks followed it in a procession to the cemetery, where Mike was laid to rest at the Spring Vale Cemetery. My relationship with Mike was mostly on the phone, as we were both really busy with work and family, but we did see each other a few times a year at truck shows. Mike loved making deals, and one of his “hobbies” was buying and selling camera gear. When my business par tner and friend Erik “Big E” Sieben died, Mike helped me sell a ton of extra camera gear and helped me get an entire new rig for myself. I could even call him for advice when I was having an issue, and he would always pick up the phone. He went on to help four of our contributors “up their game” with new gear. It would be fair to say that 75% of the pictures you see in 10-4 Magazine these days were shot with a camera from Mike. Being a very traditional person, Mike was always kind, never mean, did not gossip, was caring and forgiving, and his family always came first. He spoke about his “spicy” Latino wife all the time and told stories about her, but since none of us at the truck shows had ever actually met her, we star ted teasing Mike that she didn’t really exist and that he made her up – we called her the Unicorn. But I finally got to meet her at the funeral and talk to her afterward at length for this ar ticle, and it was such a treat. I am not sure why Mike hid her away from everyone all those years, but he sure had a special wife, and I am glad I got to meet her and get to know her. One of Mike’s regrets was not going to the doctor sooner. Had he listened more to his body and got the proper check-ups, his situation may have ended differently. As everyone knows, early detection is key to beating cancer, so Mike spent some of his final time preaching to anyone who would listen about getting a colonoscopy done when required or when something wasn’t right. If that is you – just do it! Do not wait, because waiting will probably just make things worse. As you can imagine, battling stage 4 cancer for two years can be very expensive, even if you have good insurance. To help pay for some of those monumental medical bills that stacked up, we here at 10-4 Magazine, along with Michelle and Steve Ford of Largecar Magazine, teamed up to star t a GoFundMe page for Mike’s family. You can find links on both of our publication’s social media pages, so please find it and donate, no matter how small. It all adds up, and it is the least we all can do for someone who gave so much of his life helping to make the trucking industry shine – literally. “Doing what you like is fun, but liking what you do is happiness,” and this phrase defined Mike Horan perfectly. He loved making new par ts for trucks, he loved being creative and solving problems, he loved the people in the trucking industry, he loved making people feel good, and he loved his family and friends, and all that love made him a happy person. Mike will be missed by those who know him, and also by those who do not, because the stainless truck accessory industry will never be the same. The next time a shiny truck passes by you, think of Mike, because he probably had a hand in that! Rest in peace, my friend, until we meet again. n