Temora man Michael Henderson pays touching car tribute to late wife

Temora man Michael Henderson, 71, has just completed a two-year job on his 1999 V6 Holden Rodeo ute "Bakkie", with the vehicle's bonnet now featuring an airbrushed wedding photo of him with wife Dianne as a lasting memorial to the love of his life.

Winding back the clock to 2008, the couple met at a singles social dance in Sydney and the rest is history.

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On Boxing Day in 2015, Mr Henderson proposed and the mature-aged couple were married on March 11, 2017.

In 2021 the couple moved back to the bush, to Dianne's childhood home of Temora, but three months later she was diagnosed with lung cancer.

"It was a big blow to us, and although she had lots of treatment at the Wagga Base Hospital, she sadly passed away [at the age of 78] on November 3, 2021," Mr Henderson said.

"It was very heart breaking."

Mr Henderson wanted to particularly thank Temora mayor Rick Firman and Member for Riverina Michael McCormack for the support they lent him during that period.

Determined to keep her memory alive, Mr Henderson decided to make an "everlasting memory" in her name and began looking for someone to airbrush the design onto his ute.

He eventually secured the services of Peter Miller of Wagga business Impact Signs.

"When Mick first turned up and he told me what had happened [to him] I was taken aback," Mr Miller said.

"I hadn't really done an airbrush mural for a long time but I couldn't pass up the opportunity because he was such a lovely man.

"The whole story blew me away and I was super happy to be involved in the project."

After the wedding picture was completed on the bonnet, Mr Henderson had ghost flames airbrushed onto the sides of the car by Sydney artist Wayne Harrison.

To complete the project, Andrew Macauley of Impact Signs has now sealed the ute with a ceramic coating that will protect it for years to come.

Mr Henderson and his tribute car will return to Wagga for the Repco Show & Shine at the Riverina Playhouse car park on November 4 - a day after the second anniversary of Dianne's death.

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