- November 29, 2024
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When Rod Gammon first moved to Ormond Beach, he had a wife, three kids, $1,000 to his name and not much of a plan.
"They were so worried about going broke," said Rod Gammon Jr. of his parents. "It's hard to believe that anyone would try to open a business with just $1,000 and no idea what they were doing."
In 1969 Rod Gammon and his wife, Jean Gammon, opened Rod's Carpet, Tile and Wood, a store that has been a staple in Ormond Beach for the past 46 years. Though it originally opened in a strip mall where Hull's Seafood Market now stands, Rod Gammon always had his eye on the lot at 99 W. Granada Blvd.
"My dad always wanted that lot for the store, but there was a house on it," said Rod Gammon Jr. "When my dad asked the woman who owned it if he could buy it, she told him only if he found her a house with a large weeping willow tree. He found one she liked, and they built the store there."
Making deals and bartering was just one of the many qualities that made Rod Gammon who he was. Rod Gammon Jr.'s wife, Shelia Gammon, said he was a very social guy.
"He knew everyone on the whole street," she said, "and if someone said he couldn't do something, he'd prove them wrong."
Rod Gammon Jr. took over most of the store's operation 15 years ago so his dad could "semi-retire." After growing up working in the store, taking it over was only a matter of time.
"I always worked with him," he said. "When I wasn't working, we'd play basketball in the warehouse. I grew up with it my whole life."
Gammon's father continued his hard work up until three years ago, when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He died at 76 years old.
"We were very close," said Rod Gammon Jr. "My dad taught me everything. I used to always call him for help with a problem or advice. It didn't really hit me till I buried him last week, but I can't call him anymore. I'm really proud of him and my mom and everything they've built."
