02/12/2026
This predates our closing in 2019 but I didn't know Rudy was gone until just a few days ago when I ran into his brother. I remember one day when Rudy was driving for us, he came in and told me that he had "dropped a customer." I asked him to explain. He said that the customer needed to go on a 12 mile-ish trip and upon entering the cab, started giving Rudy crap about the $35-40 estimate he had been given. At some point the verbal attack got personal and when he reached the destination, he got out and walked away. Rudy jumped out of the cab and ran after him and told him that he still had to pay even though he didn't like the price. The guy cocked his arm back and Rudy said "I blocked his punch with my left arm and dropped him with a right hook." I asked Rudy "What happened then?" He said "the passenger laid there on the ground for a few seconds, then looked up at me and said "OK. I'll pay you. But I'm not going to tip you."
You can't make this stuff up! I was really proud of him but I felt obliged to discuss the option of pulling over to the side of the road and kicking the passenger out of the cab when he started his personal verbal attack. Every day I would think "I've seen it all now, but then ... NOPE!"
Rudolph John Sedlacek, 62, of Kingsley, MI passed away on April 13, 2019. Rudy was born at Munson Medical Center, in Traverse City, on April 26, 1956, the middle son, to Joseph J
