Joe Kavanagh; Auto Mechanic to the Stars

Joe Kavanagh, for years an auto mechanic for Hollywood stars, died Saturday near the Sherman Oaks repair shop he had owned since 1958.

Kavanagh, who had a history of heart and kidney problems, apparently died of natural causes, according to the coroner’s office. He was 68.

Kavanagh was found by family members Saturday evening inside his blue Volvo, which was parked near his repair shop in the 13400 block of Ventura Boulevard.

“He couldn’t have died at any place he could’ve been happier,” said Luann Milligan, Kavanagh’s secretary for 32 years.

But because the Volvo’s rear window had been broken, police investigators are looking into the death. “It’s not being ruled a homicide as of yet,” said Det. Angel Lopez of the LAPD’s Van Nuys Division.

Joseph J. Kavanagh was born in Dublin but left Ireland as a young man to escape parental pressure for him to become a priest, said his oldest son, Declan. He chose to settle in the Los Angeles area--and in the San Fernando Valley in particular--because he loved the warm and sunny climate.

After working as a mechanic for a couple of years in Hollywood, he opened his own shop, now called Kavanagh Motors, at its current Sherman Oaks site.

Kavanagh’s repair shop was one of the first in the Valley to specialize in luxury foreign cars. Its client list soon grew to read like a Who’s Who of Hollywood. Among his regulars were James Cagney, Andy Griffith and Steve McQueen.

“Everyone in my office went to Joe. People were loyal to him,” said Jay Plotkin, a Sherman Oaks attorney and a customer for more than 20 years.

“He was Irish salt of the earth. He was warm. He was a person you instantly engaged with--not just about cars, but about anything,” Plotkin said.

Even after two heart surgeries and kidney dialysis, Kavanagh loved being around cars and his customers so much that he went to his shop every day he could, those close to him said.

He is survived by his wife, Anne; four children, Declan Kavanagh of Saugus, Dierdre Bramberg of San Diego, Roderic Kavanagh of Sherman Oaks and Orla Kavanagh of Van Nuys; and four grandchildren. He also has two brothers and two sisters in Ireland.

A memorial service and funeral arrangements are pending.