Their Late Father’s Dying Wish Was for Them to Finish His Dodge Dart. Now They Need Help

John Depauw loved his family, and he loved cars. The Escondido resident was in the middle of rebuilding a ‘68 Dodge Dart when he passed away earlier this week.

To honor his memory, and one of his last wishes, his kids are taking over the project and they’re asking for a little help … from you.

The Depauw kids say they can’t remember a time when their father did not spend his days working on cars. Whether it was a family car or a friend’s, they say he was always lending a hand to those who needed help. Now that he’s passed they hope others can help them fulfill his last wish.

In Depauw’s final hours, he revealed his final wish to his kids.

“He said, ‘I want you to do this and you need to make sure of this and I want this, make sure you get this type of interior, with the trim this color.’ He said, ‘Guys, you need to make sure you finish this,'” his daughter Chrissy Depauw said.

“Unfortunately, a lot of life things came up when he had to put other people and family ahead of himself and his projects,” his son Brandon Depauw explained.

It wasn’t until he retired two years ago that his kids say he really began to put work into the car. But that steady workflow didn’t last long. A few months ago Depauw became ill. First with an infection in his spine, then he was diagnosed with a heart condition and lung problems. He passed away last week.

“It was one of my wishes to take the family out, ride around in the vehicle and take friends out and take the guys from work,” Brandon said.

John Depauw, 73 when he passed, was a father of four. His family says he was a supportive dad and a generous friend who was always willing to help others.

“Anyone that needed anything with their vehicle, pretty much, no questions asked, he was there to help them with their vehicle,” Brandon Depauw said.

That’s why his kids knew they couldn’t let their dad’s passion project take a backseat.

“If this is something that could bring the family together, even more — we’re a real tight-knit family — to have something that is truly that memorial piece to him that we could share with other people, he would be thrilled,” Brandon Depauw said.

Now as they get to work, they’re hoping the community will join in. Not only honoring DpPauw’s final wish, but also his memory.

“He’s never going to be far because we have this and we have so much to remember him by,” Chrissy said.

he Depauws say they hope to finish the car by the summer and show it off during Escondido’s annual cruising event.

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