Cecil Thomas "Butch" Hicks

Cecil "Butch" Thomas Hicks, 87, of Huntsville, Alabama, passed away on November 5, 2025. Cecil was born in Huntsville, Alabama to Cecil D. and Lorene Hicks on May 19, 1938. He went to Huntsville High School and graduated in 1955 and attended Auburn University for 2 years and University of Alabama Huntsville. Racing wasn't just a hobby for him; it was part of who he was. Whether it was the roar of a dragster, the shine of a street rod, or the thrill of competition, he found pure happiness wherever engines roared and tires met the track. His passion for racing led to a lifetime of remarkable achievements-too many to count, but here are just a few that defined his legacy. In 1956, he hosted the very first Huntsville Drag Race on Martin Road, earning the mayor's approval to bring the event to city streets. Two years later, he co-founded the Coachmen Car Club in 1958, helping unite local car enthusiasts under one banner. He went on to open one of the area's first performance shops, Moon & Hicks Performance, and played a pivotal role in securing the land and construction of Manassas Dragway in Harvest, Alabama, in 1961, now part of what's known as Rocket City. His innovation didn't stop there; he established a nationally recognized Professional Chassis Shop in Huntsville and after obtaining SEMA License #81 built the 1974 NHRA Funny Car Chain Lightening World Championship Mustang driven by Shirl Greer and many others to include the Alabamian. Cecil Hicks' passion for cars was more than a personal pursuit-it was a legacy he shared with his daughters, introducing them to quarter midget racing at a young age and inspiring their racing for Clabber Girl Racing in Legends and the Busch Series NASCAR for Toyota Racing. He was more than a car enthusiast-he was also an inventor, holding two United States patents for the design and engineering of two hydraulic pumps.
When Cecil Hicks was ten, his parents wouldn't buy him a new bicycle for his paper route, so he decided to build something better-a car-and that bold determination became the hallmark of his life. By age six, he was already "driving" from the floorboard of his grandfather's Plymouth, beginning a lifelong love affair with engines, speed, and creativity. Throughout his life, Cecil defied every limitation placed before him, including a devastating pair of strokes at age seventy-three that should have ended his time in the shop. Instead, they fueled his greatest comeback. Rising before dawn each day, he poured his energy into building his "dream car," a striking hot rod crafted from a 1936 Chevy truck body, Model A grille, and 1940 Dodge bed-a masterpiece that symbolized his strength and resilience. Over his lifetime, Cecil built hundreds of cars, none meant more than the one that helped him rebuild his life. With the unwavering support of his family, Cecil faced recovery with humor, grit, and faith, proving that true passion doesn't just build engines-it rebuilds the human spirit.
Cecil is survived by his wife of 65 years, Margaret Ann Hill Hicks; daughter, Kara Brown (Jerry); grandchildren, Leslie McDaniel (Michael), Kelsey Kinney (Michael), Jay Propst (Kathryn), and Evan Brown; great-grandchildren, Haley McDaniel, Cecilia Kinney, Charlotte McDaniel, and Matthew Kinney. He is predeceased by his parents, Cecil and Lorene Hicks, and daughters Lori Lee and Wendy Hicks.
Visitation will be held at Laughlin Service Funeral Home located at 2320 Bob Wallace Ave. Huntsville, Alabama on Sunday, November 9, 2025, from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm. Graveside service being officiated by Reverend Mack Buttram will follow at 2:30 p.m. at Mt. Zion Cemetery, 228 Mt Zion Rd, Huntsville, Alabama.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at https://www.stjude.org/give/memorials-and-dedications.html; Boys Town at https://www.boystown.org/ways-to-give/tributes-and-honorary-donations; Tunnel to Towers at https://t2t.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/In-Memory-of-Online-Form_Interactive-Online-Form.pdf; or a charity of your choice.