In the most recent edition of IRISH, the Notre Dame Alumni Association's magazine published twice a year for more than 13,000 constituents, a 1970 alumnus of Notre Dame High School in Harper Woods talks about his automotive business and his "claim to fame."
Notre Dame alum Ken Moir runs his business near the corner of 9 Mile Rd. and Gratiot.
But what most outside of Eastpointe, Mich., don't know is that the proprietor of "Ken's South Park Service," located on Gratiot Ave., is in fact the original Kenny from South Park. Or so he says. Notre Dame High School 1970 graduate Ken Moir has operated "Ken's," an automotive repair shop at the end of South Park Ave., since 1982, well before the television animated series "South Park" debuted in 1997.
Moir is big fan of oldies music and popular media, and yes, he even liked who he calls the "second Kenny," from TV's South Park cartoon. He's also a big fan of Notre Dame's DJ priest, Fr. Bryson, and has fond memories of him. Like when he pitched in to help Bryson at the big Friday night dances where he introduced many of the bands that played in ND's cafeteria, including Bob Seger and Savage Grace. He still enjoys music from the 60s and 70s (a big Beatles fan) and has a huge collection of vintage records and audio equipment in his basement.
After graduating from Notre Dame in 1970, Moir planned on a career in radio after college. But Uncle Sam had other plans. He was drafted into the U.S. Army and was stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado. When they discovered his aptitude for fixing vehicles, the Army brass decided not to send him to Vietnam.
"When they found out I was from Detroit, they just assumed I could fix cars," he says. Turns out, they were right in his case. Moir soon found himself in charge of the entire motor pool at Fort Carson, which ultimately would lead him to a "civilian" career as an auto technician and then to his successful repair business on South Park and Gratiot (near 9 Mile Rd.).
Moir, whose son Eric also graduated from NDHS (in 1990), says running a business isn't always smooth sailing. But for fellow alums contemplating owning their own business, he says, "Find something you love—and go for it!"