Donarski brothers to leave Princeton Tire Service

PRINCETON — The Princeton Tire Service at 901 N. Main St. won’t have a Donarski working there after Friday, May 29. That will be the first time in 50 years.

Current operators of the business are Jim, Stephen and Joe Donarski, the sons of Joseph Donarski, who bought half the business from Chuck Clickner in 1965 and acquired complete ownership in 1969 after buying out Harold Yingling.

Clickner and Yingling had run the business since the 1950s. It had been the Malden Oil Co. prior to that. Jim Donarski has been working at the business since 1965, while Steven joined it in 1972 after being in the U.S. Navy. Joe started in 1979. The three sons took over the business from their father in 1985 and have been trying to sell it for two years.

“This is a younger man’s business,” said Steven. “It is too physical for us anymore.”

Princeton Tire Service has been a Goodyear franchise since 1955.

The Donarski brothers wanted to thank all of their customers from throughout the years.

“Many of our customers have become our friends,” said Steven. “We have had lots of dedicated customers.”

A unique aspect of Princeton Tire Service has been a pole located in the work area. Steven Donarski said he used to throw an ice pick which he used to take items out of tires into the pole, in order for it to stick there.

“The pick was used for 25 years, and we decided to put on it stickers from new tires we put on our customers’ vehicles. We have done that for 25 years, and we estimated there are 50,000 stickers on this pole,” he said.

After Friday, Jim Donarski wants to watch his grandchildren play baseball; Steven is planning on fishing and golfing; and Joe wants to take some time off before finding another job because he isn’t old enough to retire.

Comment on this story at www.bcrnews.com.