John Boudreaux grew up wanting to know the “why” of things, and that inquisitive nature has led him to a lifetime of recognition, though his journey isn’t done just yet.

Boudreaux, 61, remembers from a young age wanting to work and fix things.

“I’ve always tinkered, fixing things,” the recently-retired New Iberia native said. “It’s a blessing and a curse. I can look at something that is broken and I can fix it.”

In his home in Church Point, Boudreaux keeps material like plastic and metals that he uses to make repairs in and around his house. He jokes that his wife of 34 years, Sandra, calls it junk, but he prefers the term “resources.” The two have a daughter, Claire, 26, and a son Brett, 34.

It’s been a 40-plus year odyssey of tinkering that has led Boudreaux to where he is now, starting off working as a car washer at Davis Delcambre Motors at the ripe age of 15. It was at that local shop that he found what he wanted to do with his life.

“I’ve always had a curiosity for how things work,” Boudreaux said. “Just to take something apart and see how it works, mechanically.”

As he would spend his spare time in the shop with the other mechanics, he was cleaning parts and tools that they were using and eventually one thing led to another that allowed him to do more at the shop.

“I eventually became a technician,” Boudreaux said.

Though a “technician” is a broad term now, it comes down to being a specialist who focuses on certain areas of a car, where a mechanic does it all.

Boudreaux started as a Volkswagen technician in New Iberia and after high school, he moved to McMahon Musson Chevrolet as a mechanic.

Eventually Boudreaux completed his ASE certification from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence.

“It’s to show that you know what you’re talking about,” Boudreaux said. “I’ve been ASE-certified for over 40 years now.”

ASE promotes excellence in vehicle repair, service and parts distribution, according to its website. Almost 300,000 Automotive Technicians and Service Professionals hold ASE Certifications. ASE Certified Professionals work in every part of the automotive service industry. ASE certified automotive technicians and service professionals, not the auto shops.

Throughout his 40-plus years of servicing vehicles, Boudreaux was recognized for his work, including being named Valvoline/ASE Master Mechanic of the Year, a moment he’ll never forget.

“That’s one of the most prouder moments I’ve ever had,” Boudreaux said. “It was nice to be recognized by your peers.”

Boudreaux credits an old neighbor down the street from where he lived who inspired his career. Cecil Carrier was, Boudreaux said, the “neighborhood fix-it guy” and it was Carrier who instilled those values that he still holds today.

Boudreaux, who was around 11 at the time, said he and his family used to travel to Bayou Pigeon north of Morgan City and with his mother and sister with him, Carrier came up to him and told him he needed to know how to change a tire.

“He took the time to show me how to take a flat tire off and change a spare tire,” Boudreaux said. “I felt like I could overhaul the engine at the time.”

Like Boudreaux, Carrier was also into taking things apart and fixing them and the two meshed well together.

“I really think everything happened for a reason, there was a reason he lived there,” Boudreaux said. “I credit him with inspiring me to do what I did for a living.”