Timothy William Buechele

Timothy William Buechele died Feb. 3, 2025, at his home in Hammond, Louisiana. A native New Yorker, Tim lived in Louisiana for more than 30 years, working in motorsports and becoming a legend in the Gulf Coast motorcycle community. Committed to his family and friends, he also loved music and had a passion for fine whiskey. The cause of death was a massive heart attack. He was 58. 

Tim was born on Feb. 25, 1966, in Poughkeepsie, NY. As a boy, he especially enjoyed outdoor activities, including camping, snowmobiling and canoeing, eventually earning the Boy Scouts’ top honor of Eagle Scout. If not exploring, he could be found helping his father tinker with antique cars, lawn mowers and motorcycles. 

In 1984, Tim graduated from Arlington High School, where he made many lifelong friends. He went on to attend Dutchess Community College (DCC), graduating with an Associate of Science degree in Mass Communication/Media Studies in 1986, and from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations, Advertising and Applied Communication in 1988. During these early years, he worked on the farm crew of Adams Fairacre Farms, at DCC’s Campus Radio, and as an intern at the Hudson Valley’s renowned classic rock radio station WPDH. After graduating from college, he worked in admissions and recruitment at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, and then at Sullivan County Community College in Loch Sheldrake. 

It was not until he moved to Louisiana that he really found his calling, linking his love for powersports and motorcycles with his skills in communications and sales. He began at Harley Davidson of Baton Rouge under Malcolm Zanca, where he stayed for eight years, rising from Retail Sales Manager to General Sales Manager and then to General Manager. In 2001-2002, he took a one-year hiatus in New York to spend time with family during the end stages of his father’s battle with Alzheimer’s. During that stint, Tim found a position at Harley Davidson of Woodstock. Upon returning to Louisiana in 2002, Tim worked as the Service Manager at Bent Marine, a family-owned boat dealer in South Louisiana, for three-and-a-half years, experiencing firsthand the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Tim returned to motorcycles in 2006, working at Hammond Harley Davidson until 2014, then shifting to Covington Powersports until 2021. For the last four years, until his death, Tim was Gulf Coast Sales Representative for Drag Specialties, a major distributor of aftermarket accessories in the powersports industry. 

“Crazy Uncle Timmy,” as his nieces and nephews affectionately called him, loved music, concerts, and music festivals. He had recently purchased a vintage Shovelhead Harley in hopes of restoring it and riding more often during retirement. Raised Episcopal, Tim became a regular participant in Church in the Wind at Cajun Thunder MotorSports in Ponchatoula, Louisiana. 

He was predeceased by his loving parents, Alvin and Judith, and his pets of 14 years, Cole and Dolly. He is survived by his sister Heather Dinardo, her husband Joe, and their son Jaheem, and daughter Kaitlin and her partner Rudy, who are expecting a baby in August, as well as his great nephew Parker; his sister Elizabeth Stone, and her children Isabella, Trent, Luke and Addison; and many cousins. 

Two celebration-of-life services will be held-the first in Louisiana, then in New York: Feb. 23, 2025, 10:00 a.m. with the Church in the Wind, Cajun Thunder Motorsports, 42031 Yokum Road, Ponchatoula, LA 70454; March 8, 2025, 11:00 a.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 808 Traver Road, Pleasant Valley, NY 12569. Donations in honor of Tim may be made to the Tangipahoa Parish Animal Shelter <https://tangipahoa.org/government/animal-services/>, 15487 West Club Deluxe Road, Hammond, LA 70403, or the Dutchess County SPCA <https://www.dcspca.org/>, 636 Violet Avenue, Hyde Park, NY 12538.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Harry McKneely & Son Funeral Home.