COMMUNITY CONNECTION – Roger’s lifelong use of toolmanship skills

Roger’s Journey: A Life in Toolmanship and Mentorship

Frances Ashley and his son Roger in front of their Farmall tractor – 1940s

At Bendix Academy, we know that toolmanship is more than turning wrenches—it’s a way of thinking, solving problems, and building a life with your own two hands.

Few people embody this ethos more than Roger Ashley, a longtime supporter of Bendix Academy and a lifelong “toolman” whose career spans from small-town farming to the space race, automotive safety, and back again to the heart of restoration and mentorship.

Bendix Academy’s Executive and Development Director, Wendy Zielen, recently sat down with Roger to hear his story. What emerged was a chronicle of hard work and craftsmanship as well as a living history of American ingenuity. Roger’s journey is an intriguing and powerful reminder of why toolmanship and mentoring the next generation both matter so deeply.

Early Roots: A Farm boy’s Introduction to Mechanics

Roger grew up on a 100-acre family farm just outside Flint, Michigan, near Lake Shannon. From a young age, life revolved around hard work, responsibility, and mechanical problem-solving. His father, who worked second shift at Baldwin Rubber Company, made sure the kids started their farm chores early. “We were milking 15 cows morning and night,” Roger recalls. “At first, it was by hand. Later, we had machines—but in the winter, if the electricity went out, we had to rig power using an old International truck just to keep milking going. There was no time to wait or complain—you figured it out.”

This early exposure to machines—from tractors and hay balers to makeshift generators—laid the foundation for a lifetime of toolmanship. It wasn’t just survival; it was education in real time.

Ashley kids on the farm:  Frances, Roger, Joseph, and Roy

“There were winters when snow would shut the roads down completely,” Roger recalled. “We’d have to haul the milk out to Route 23 by hand so it could be shipped. If the power went out, we’d fire up an old International truck to power the milking machines. There were too many cows to go back to milking by hand!”

Love, Land, and a Life Built by Hand

While Roger was growing up on the family farm, mastering machinery and milking cows before dawn, life wasn’t all chores and equipment. There was time for fishing in the creek out back, hunting in the woods, and playing football and baseball with school friends from Linden Schools.

Even then, toolmanship showed itself early—Roger recalls driving a 1/2-ton truck to school, not for show, but because it was the family’s way of getting things done. By the time he was a teenager, he was baling hay, planting grain and wheat, combining crops, and milking cows twice a day.

Those skills taught more than mechanical fluency—they built confidence and the ability to solve problems under pressure.

It’s this type of thinking—resourceful, resilient, and mechanically creative—that would shape every chapter of Roger’s life.

It was during those high school years that Roger met Mary, the girl who would become his wife, partner, and lifelong teammate. They met in 10th grade, fell in love, and married in 1959—ready to build a life together in every sense of the word.

Roger and Mary

A growing family demanded a growing house, built from the foundation up by Roger!

The newlyweds bought an acre of land, and Roger rolled up his sleeves. He built the foundation himself, moved a small house onto it, and over the years added room after room as their family grew. The skills Roger used to build his home weren’t learned in a classroom—they were forged from long hours on the McGuire Road farm.

“I did everything except install the first furnace,” Roger said.

With six children, three girls and three boys, there was plenty of need for space, and he made it happen the same way he always had: with his own hands, a clear head, and a lot of grit.

From the Family Farm to a Career in Motion…

Not long after getting married, Roger landed a job at the Ford dealership in Fenton. His deep knowledge of parts and systems—honed through necessity on the farm—set him apart.

“I didn’t think of it as a trade at the time,” he said. “But I knew what parts were, what they did, and how they worked together. That mattered.”

Roger’s success in Fenton led to a parts manager role at a Ford dealership in Flint, where he spent another six years gaining both technical and professional experience. With a growing family, a house he had built himself, and a rising career, Roger’s life was proof that practical skills could lay the foundation for financial stability and personal fulfillment.

…and Farm Tractors to Lunar Rovers!

Then came the opportunity that tied everything together: a position at Bendix Aerospace in Ann Arbor, helping track materials and parts for the Lunar Rover. It was a dream job, made possible not by degrees or test scores, but by Roger’s lived expertise in toolmanship.

In the 1960s, Roger joined the Bendix team tracking parts and materials for one of the most ambitious undertakings of the century: the Lunar Rover, or “Moon Buggy,” built for the Apollo missions.

“I was just a farm kid who liked machines,” Roger said. “Next thing I knew, I was helping track down the parts for a vehicle headed to the moon.”

Working at Bendix Aerospace – Roger in a space suit!

Bendix Aerospace Lunar Rover in test phase

This experience not only deepened Roger’s technical knowledge but gave him a sense of pride and purpose—proof that the mechanical skills he honed in his youth had real, global impact.

General Motors Safety Lab 1996-99

Automotive Safety and the General Motors Proving Grounds

After Bendix, Roger took a position at the GM Proving Grounds, where he spent the rest of his career. He worked in the safety testing lab, witnessing the evolution of crash test technology firsthand.

“Even with seatbelts on, dummies would go forward six inches in a crash. That taught me to always wear mine,” Roger said.

Roger witnessing first hand the evolution of crash test technology
Later, he moved into emissions testing, where he monitored vehicle performance under rigorous conditions. One incident he recalls vividly: a crash involving a test driver in a Corvette that delayed the release of the 1984 model by months. Roger also worked on early electric vehicle prototypes and vehicle handling tests, where the thrill of speed met the science of control.

Above: Roger working on emissions testing and early electric vehicle prototypes

“The 454 four-wheel-drive trucks could outperform some sports cars,” Roger laughed. “They rode better, too.”

Retirement Projects, Buried Treasures, and a Brotherly Bond

Roger may have officially retired from General Motors in 1999, but he never stopped working with his hands. Retirement simply meant he could return to his roots—mechanical restoration, farm life, and family history—at his own pace and on his own terms.

With the same energy and curiosity he brought to the proving grounds and emissions labs, Roger turned his attention to a new kind of project: restoring vintage Farmall tractors from the 1940s and 1950s, many of which had been sitting idle—some for decades—one the old family farm!

One project stands out. Deep in the fields where he had once planted hay and milked cows as a boy, Roger and his brother Roy unearthed a tractor that had been buried for more than 40 years. Rusted, weathered, and nearly forgotten, the machine was little more than a shell. But to Roger, it was a challenge—and a piece of family history worth saving.

“It wasn’t just about fixing the tractor,” Roger shared. “It was about bringing something back to life that had been part of our story.”

Roger painstakingly reconstructed the machine, using parts from other tractors he sourced or salvaged. He knew every nut, bolt, and bearing—and if he didn’t, he figured it out. Over time, that tractor became one of eight Farmall Hs Roger would restore, each one a tribute to mechanical ingenuity and the resilience of old machines—and the men who knew how to breathe life back into them.

His brother Roy, who had also inherited a deep love of machinery, shared in the joy of these projects. The two of them spent countless hours together in the shop and in the field, tinkering, troubleshooting, and triumphing, just as they had as boys. It was more than a hobby—it was a way to reconnect, not only with each other, but with the land and tools that had shaped them both.

Roger didn’t just fix tractors—he drove them to local shows, proudly showcasing the craftsmanship of a bygone era. Never on trailers, always on back roads—he avoided numbered state routes entirely.

“If you’re going to restore it, you ought to drive it,” Roger says with a grin.

Eventually, Roger joined a tractor club, where he found a community of like-minded enthusiasts. They shared techniques, swapped parts, and swapped stories. But over time, he noticed club membership beginning to dwindle. Many members aged out or passed on, and with them, decades of mechanical knowledge risked being lost.

This decline only deepened Roger’s commitment to mentoring and passing on what he knew. It was what first drew him to Bendix Academy—and it’s what keeps him involved to this day.

Tractor buried for 40 years on farm

Restored tractor awaiting new tires

Tractor completely restored!

Then and Now on the same farm road!

Above: Roger & Roy tractor time on Mackinaw Bridge
Below: Commemorative plaques for the brothers’ prized projects

From Bendix Aerospace to Bendix Academy

In 2015, Roger and two friends spotted a flyer about an effort to restore a B-25 bomber engine as part of the Warbirds of Glory Museum where a static model of the R-2800 engine was being rebuilt. Roger remains involved with the Sandbar Mitchell project, and also followed Todd Trainor’s mission when he founded Bendix Academy to focus on toolmanship mentoring. Roger felt immediately at home.

Since then, Roger has remained a devoted supporter of the Academy. Most recently, he donated a white Chevy Malibu to be used in the Academy’s automotive maintenance pathway—one of the most popular modules among students.

“The camaraderie reminded me of working on the farm, or the proving grounds,” Roger said. “You’re solving problems together, learning from each other.”

Above: Roger’s Malibu, donated for automotive maintenance lessons, on display during Bendix Academy Spring 2025 Open House

Roger’s passion for mentoring is personal. When one of his grandsons had the chance to work at Discount Tire, the job required knowing how to use an air wrench. Roger took the time to teach him—and that single lesson helped his grandson land the job and begin a steady climb upward.

Where can you find Roger today? 

Roger continues to enjoy toolmanship and tinkering, along with other fulfilling pursuits such as maple sugaring. Soft spoken but with obvious fortitude behind his quiet demeanor, Roger enjoys sharing his wealth of experience with others who are interested.

“Too many young people haven’t had the chance to use tools, to take things apart and fix them,” Roger says. “Phones and computers are great, but knowing how to do basic repairs and understand machines saves money, builds confidence, and gives you independence.”

Roger’s Advice to Students: Stay Curious, Stay Hands-On

When asked what advice he’d give to Bendix Academy students today, Roger doesn’t hesitate.

“Take advantage of every opportunity to work with your hands. Ask questions. Try things. And don’t be afraid to fail—that’s how you learn. I didn’t set out to work on space rovers or test Corvettes. I just kept learning. And when the opportunity came, I was ready.”

Toolmanship as a Legacy

Roger Ashley’s journey is more than a story of one man’s career—it’s a blueprint for how mechanical skills shape lives, families, communities, and even space exploration. At Bendix Academy, we value the generational knowledge of those with experience, and we believe that every young person deserves the chance to discover how they too can build, fix, and master. As long as we have role models like Roger in our midst, the legacy of toolmanship continues!

Bendix Academy thanks Roger Ashley for sharing his wealth of wisdom with our community!

Roger as he donated his meticulously cared-for Malibu to Bendix Academy for students to learn auto maintenance.

Mentors Matter! Make a Difference in Building the Future

Do you have toolmanship skills, and a desire to share them? At Bendix Academy, we believe hands-on toolmanship knowledge can change lives. As our program continues to grow, we’re seeking mentors who are passionate about restoring mechanical self-reliance in the next generation.

Whether you’re a seasoned tradesperson, engineer, dedicated DIYer, or simply someone who enjoys teaching and giving back, your experience can make a lasting impact. Our mentors guide students through real projects that build confidence, critical thinking, and the ability to solve problems with their own hands.

If you’re ready to make a difference—one tool, one lesson, one student at a time—we’d love to hear from you.

Interested in mentoring? We invite you to consider becoming a Bendix Academy Mentor!  Questions? Please contact us at toolmen@bendixacademy.org. 

 

Read more articles like this in the most recent edition of Toolman Tips, Bendix Academy's quarterly newsletter!

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