Larry Calvin Stoops – locally known simply as Stoops – is 71 and retired.

As a child, he lived out of a car with his parents, who followed the harvest seasons west to California. Settling in Trenton, his father ran an auto salvage yard for years.

His upbringing around machines turned into a lifelong interest, seen when he bought 42 cars at an auction in a single day. He would have bought more had his wife not cut him off.

While working at a food processing plant, Stoops sustained a brain infection from tainted meat. Today, diabetes, sleep apnea, and a daily regime of pills are part of his life.

As a tinkerer and collector, Stoops’ curious mind pushes the limits of health and elderly independence.

Claiming a small hill on the west side of town, Stoops has carved out a life significant not for his eccentricity, but for his contentment.