Rudolph Curtis Kutey

Rudy was born on March 9, 1948 in Detroit, to Mary and Raymond Kutey. When Rudy was a child, he became fascinated by art, cars and motorcycles. At an early age he began to build and paint model cars. Being a very independent child, at age 12, Rudy took on a paper route to fund his hobbies. In his mid-teens he became interested in motorcycles, both riding them and modifying/customizing them. He went into business for himself in the late 60's and his first shop was in his parents' garage. He acquired the nickname "Overdose" from a paint job he did on a friend's Volkswagen. He liked the name so much that he ultimately named his customization business "Overdose Custom Creations". His brother Marty worked with him for a number of years before Rudy decided to go into business with another partner and at that time the business was renamed "Karmic Overdose". While striping a client's vehicle, the owner of the car (who was a brain surgeon) noticed how steady Rudy's hands were and told him he could be a brain surgeon and subsequently he became known as Dr. Ru - That's Who!

During his time as a professional pinstriper, he was approached by the Chrysler design team to pinstripe the special edition Prowler cars. He striped over 400 Prowlers and was ultimately honored by Chrysler at a SEMA show in Las Vegas in 2001.

In addition to his illustrious career, he was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend and had a way of making people feel special. He found joy in making something beautiful for others, whether it was a custom pinstripe, a hand-painted sign, or simply taking the time to help someone in need. He had a heart of gold filled with kindness that touched countless lives. His love, generosity and unwavering spirit will live on in the memories of everyone fortunate enough to know him. His legacy is one-of-a- kind.

Rudy was preceded in death by his parents Mary and Raymond, his brother Marty and sister Anita. He is survived by his wife Karen, their two dogs Rocko and Rambo, their children Andrea Priestley, Rhiannon Green (Chris), Scott Heyniger, his brother Raymond (Elizabeth), his nephews and godson Joshua (Laura) and nephew Mike Gouin. He adored his three grandchildren Christopher Green (Kiana), Brody and Connor Priestley.

In accordance with Rudy's wishes, a private family celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to your favorite local animal rescue organization.