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An autistic Auckland man who recovered from a brutal bashing in 2019 to become a beloved community member is being remembered as someone “unique in the entire world” after his death last week.
Fixated on cars, Bradlee Mackay was a feature in daily life in Titirangi in the city’s west as he went door-to-door asking residents for their car registration labels and phone numbers, eventually collecting up to 40,000 rego cards.
The 27-year-old also cheekily tried to buy and sell cars he didn’t own on Facebook Marketplace and was close to making it onto New Zealand’s Special Olympics ten-pin bowling team.
But, while his attackers were never caught, Mackay bounced back to his old self with the community’s support, before sadly passing away unexpectedly on Friday after suffering a seizure in the shower.
Sister Karlee Brokenshire said that when people find out she is Mackay’s brother, they often say, “I know him or... I met him 20 years ago collecting my car registration”.
“He was really thoughtful to so many people that we can’t even comprehend how many people he actually knows because we can’t get into his phone,” she said.
Bradlee Mackay became part of Titirangi folklore known by many as the "rego guy" and the "mower guy".
Community members have left scores of comments on Mackay's Givealittle page remembering him as sweet, caring and someone who made them laugh.
Now all who knew Mackay - who was intellectually disabled and suffered from Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy - are being invited to join his family for a farewell this Friday at 1pm at the Titirangi RSA, which was like a second home to him.
“It’s against my nature to ask for charity but seeing my mum struggle to think of ways to pay is breaking my heart. Any donation will go straight into his farewell to which of course you will all be welcome to attend,” Brokenshire wrote on the page.
Brokenshire said Mackay’s antics will long be remembered.
His love for cars started young as he quickly grew to remember people by their number plates.
This then shifted into a fixation on rego labels.
Brokenshire once sat down and counted that her brother had gathered 25,000 labels, but now believes the collection is as large as 40,000.
For the about 100 family and friends he considered close, he always sent text message reminders the day before their regos were due, telling them they needed to pay.
He even maxed out his mum’s credit card a few times paying off other’s people’s regos until she wised up and kept her plastic safely hidden away.
The family also had to ban him from Facebook Marketplace after he made a couple of attempts to get his hands on a set of wheels.
One time an unimpressed guy drove all the way from Christchurch to Auckland because Mackay convinced him he wanted to buy his van.
His other “naughty” habits included calling fire crews to his family house a couple of times and spending his money on Coke and pies.
Another love was Waitākere College, where he kept trying to get money to buy himself a school uniform because he wanted to go back to school, and he also collected 300 lunch boxes and up to 100 G Shock watches.
Mackay with mum Lynn Gaynor and former caregiver Rosie.
And despite his cheeky adventures, he will be overwhelmingly remembered as being very sweet, Brokenshire said.
“Quite a few people are going to be missing Brad as their mower guy,” she said. He used to earn pocket money trimming grass across the neighbourhood.
He also put out his neighbours’ bins, lining them perfectly on the curve, and made sure they had also topped their car’s windscreen washing fluid.
“We were very lucky to have Brad as a neighbour for 12 years at Hilling St. He was such a kind, caring individual, who would make sure our recycling bin was returned to the top of the steep driveway after collection,” wrote one donor to Brokenshire’s Givealittle page.
“I have many fond memories of Bradlee, who was the most wonderful young man, with a fabulous smile and an incredible memory for numbers,” another wrote.
“You were one of life’s characters and made us laugh lots,” a third remembered.
