It was far from the first days of retirement Glenn Willis and his family had been hoping for. The longtime South Windsor mechanic and owner of Willis Service Centre officially celebrated his retirement in late July after 34 years in business. But just two days later, he was being rushed to the hospital, where he remains slowly but surely working to recover.
"That's what's tough. Here, he's supposed to retire and enjoy his life. And this is a big bump in the road right now.
So we're hoping that everything turns out OK," said Gerry Jobin, Willis' best friend of decades, noting how much Glenn loves the community of South Windsor. The news of his illness has been shared across social media, prompting hundreds of comments and well-wishes for his speedy recovery. Glenn Willis (centre) pictured with friends and well-wishers, at his retirement party at Willis Service Centre.
Willis was hospitalized two days later and remains in intensive care. (Submitted by Gerry Jobin) Jobin says Willis, 63, officially closed the doors of Willis Service Centre, formerly located at Howard and Cabana, with a community gathering and barbecue on July 27. Expecting a few good friends to trickle in, Jobin says they were shocked the parking lot was full of friends and former customers, with many other Windsorites driving by honking and waving to send Willis off into his retirement.
"We just, we had a blast. Everything was perfect. That was Saturday.
Sunday he tinkered around the house. And then Monday arou.