Mazie Neece

Leroy Heinrichs and his fiancée Mazie Neece washing Leroy's 1947 Plymouth in front of the Neece family home on Margaret Street in San Jose, circa 1955. At this early stage, the car had already been mildly customized with shaved door handles, shortened hood trim, lakes pipes, subtle pinstriping around the wheel wells, and a set of 1954 Chrysler hubcaps. Photo courtesy of Tracy Zimmermann.

Another photo of Leroy and Mazie posing with the Plymouth in front of the Neece family home on Margaret Street, circa 1955. The photo was taken on what Tracy Zimmermann affectionately refers to as “car washing day.” By then, Leroy had already become a beloved fixture in the family, often appearing in photos taken by Mazie’s mother. Photo courtesy of Tracy Zimmermann.

Mazie Neece with cousins Laura Smith and Les, posing on a sunny day in 1957 next to Leroy's Plymouth. The custom was a familiar sight around the Neece family during Leroy’s time with Mazie. The location is unknown, but the car and the memory live on through The Tracy Zimmermann Collection. Photo courtesy of The Tracy Zimmermann Collection.