EL CAJON, Calif. (KGTV) - An 81-year-old El Cajon man known for his quick wit got a big surprise after videos of his jokes went viral online.
Inside Vacationer RV Resort in El Cajon, mobile detailer Lavalle Walker knocked on Tim Lemieux's door Wednesday morning with an unexpected delivery.
"I've got a surprise for you," a smiling Walker said.
Walker raised money for Lemieux through a GoFundMe campaign after Lemieux's e-trike was stolen.
"We raised $1,500 for you, Tim," Walker said.
“Omigosh,” responded Lemieux.
I first met Walker a week ago, after he happened upon the wisecracking Lemieux following a day of work at the RV park. Lemieux wasted no time showing off his sense of humor.
"I joined a senior center dating service," Lemieux said.
"Any hot ladies?" Walker asked.
"It's called carbon dating," Lemieux said.
"We see you found a lady. We can't give you her number, but you can ask her, so I asked her and she said 180 over 70," Lemieux said.
Lemieux says he developed his comedy chops telling jokes as a water aerobics instructor.
“It’s said you can burn calories while laughing, so I kept telling jokes. All the jokes are still there! That's why I'm spewing them out all the time," Lemieux said.
As he received the funds from Walker, Lemieux cracked more jokes.
”I wanna go to the beach and do drugs. I’ve got some Tylenol with me," Lemieux said, drawing laughs from Walker.
Walker posted several videos about his encounters with Lemieux, which quickly went viral — racking up some 8 million views across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. A few days after their first meeting, Walker returned and detailed Lemieux's RV for free.
During one of their visits, Lemieux revealed his e-trike had been stolen.
"I'm 81 years old. Now I can't get around," Lemieux said.
That prompted Walker to start the GoFundMe campaign. After the story aired, donations started pouring in. Lemieux says an anonymous donor also contacted him, offering to replace the e-trike.
Facing serious health issues, Lemieux, an Army veteran, says he will use the $1,500 for rent. Walker says the moment of the surprise left an impression on him.
"I could see how grateful he was. Touching to see how grateful he was," Walker said.
The typically witty Lemieux was, for once, at a loss for words.
"I'm overwhelmed. I'm in tears, I don't know what to say, except thanks to everybody who helped me," Lemieux said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
