‘Angel Mechanic’ Finds Deeds Are Good as Gold

For more than three years, Michael Stange has been called the “Angel Mechanic,” rolling up his sleeves to fix the cars of needy women, for free, in the parking lot of his La Habra church.

The saintly deeds of the 45-year-old Hacienda Heights man was rewarded in a decidedly earthly fashion Tuesday, when officials from the Publishers Clearinghouse--that icon of Middle America sweepstakes fantasies--surprised him at work at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority with a $10,000 check for its “Good As Gold Award.”

“The selflessness of his actions to help others in need just really impressed the judges,” said David Sayer, executive director of the Publishers Clearinghouse Prize Patrol. Stange was one of 10 recipients nationwide of this year’s award, for which there had been more than 2,000 nominations, all by news agencies. Stange was nominated for the award last year by The Times.

About three and a half years ago, a single mother at the Vineyard Christian Church needed a mechanic, and Stange answered his pastor’s call for a donation of services. He now fixes two to 10 needy women’s cars twice a month and dispenses car advice over the phone.

Bearing a crystal plaque, a bouquet of red roses and the oversized check, Sayer and an assistant barged into Stange’s 11th-floor office where Stange, a former diesel mechanic and now superintendent of quality assurance at the MTA, was meeting with his boss, director of operations support services Gary Spivack.

“What is this? Oh, no!” said Stange, as his office filled with news reporters and cameras pointing at him. He rose from his chair, voice quivering a bit as he tried to maintain composure. His hand reached for his heart when he heard about the cash prize. He said he would consult his wife, Tawny, before deciding how to spend the money.

Ironically, Stange had been hoping that media attention about his volunteerism would go away. He had been featured in The Times, on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show and in People magazine. Recently he turned down an interview request by a local television station.

Seeing the famous Prize Patrol van parked out front, the hearts of several MTA employees fluttered.

“I thought, maybe they’re here for me, that all my efforts at entering those sweepstakes have not been in vain,” said Marilyn Morton, manager of public affairs in the construction division. But she’s glad that a co-worker won, especially for good deeds rather than through a random drawing. “It sort of reaffirms your faith in humanity,” she said.