My Favorite Ride: Spencer man's coworkers remember him and a special 1957 Chevy Bel Air

Rick Hero's friends at Baxter BioPharma Solutions mourned when their 64-year-old coworker died this past March from COVID-19.

After a few months, they decided to hold not a wake, but a car show in his honor. Hero loved the old classics and had collected a few over the years.

On a blistering hot Friday in July, Hero's 1957 Chevrolet, turquoise inside and out, sat displayed under the midday sun in the Building D parking lot at the Bloomington medical manufacturing plant.

The Bel Air was the top of the line of mid-1950s Chevrolets, fancier than Nomad station wagon and the the Chevy 210 and 150 sedans. The mid-1950s Bel Air was called "The Hot One" in advertisements of the day and also was known as "the poor man's Cadillac."

The car weighed about 3,500 pounds and was 15 feet long. It has a big and powerful V-8 engine under the hood. Its elaborate chrome front bumper with a torpedo-shaped accents beneath the headlights were noticeable changes from previous models.

The 1957 Bel Air's extended tail fins are the most identifying feature on the iconic car, which represents its era and is recognized even by people who know nothing about classic automobiles.

I took some pictures of Hero's Bel Air from various angles that afternoon, then went on my way. I discovered them this week while reviewing the images on my Nikon media card, and, well, decided they must be shared.

So here they are. In memory of Rick Hero of Spencer, who left this world on March 21 at the age of 64. "He found a way to always have fun no matter the situation and loved his family, friends, and lived life to the fullest," his obituary said.

And he loved this car.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: My Favorite Ride: Rick Hero's legacy includes this 1957 Chevy Bel Air