By Louise Knott Ahern
Lansing State Journal
LANSING, Mich. (AP) - If they had asked Richard Dawson, he probably would have said no.
No cake. No cameras. No pomp and circumstance.
But when someone retires after almost 60 years, he deserves a show of gratitude, according to the Lansing State Journal.
The crew of the U.S. Postal Service in South Lansing bid farewell Friday morning to mail carrier Richard Dawson in a short ceremony at the Express Court facility.
Dawson has been delivering Lansing's mail since before most of his co-workers were even born but has finally decided that 82 is a decent retirement age.
He took part in Friday's ceremony reluctantly, because, frankly, he still needed to sort his route. But the ceremony was as much about letting his co-workers say goodbye to a man who was a role model for all as it was about thanking him for his service.
He's been with the post office for 58 years total - 57 as a mail carrier.
"I teased him when I started here 29 years ago that he was probably going to make it to my retirement party," said Brian Kangas, a fellow mail carrier. "He almost did. I'm eligible in two years. We'll miss his work ethic. He never says a bad word. Never complains. He always wants to help out."
That work ethic - including a famous story of how he once walked several miles through the snow to get to work following a major winter storm - earned him a revered standing inside the post office that has only grown with every passing year.
In a room full of first names and nicknames, he stands out always as Mr. Dawson.
"It's a sign of respect," said Shari Horwath, a mail carrier for 33 years who now delivers out of the DeWitt post office. "He is the nicest, most loyal person you will ever meet."
And before anyone gets the crazy idea that age is the reason for his retirement, forget it. It's actually the cold. Dawson got frostbite on several of his fingers during the brutal winter of 2014 and decided he didn't really want to do that again.
So, on Friday morning he donned his uniform one last time and stood in front of his colleagues for some photos, a certificate all the way from USPS headquarters in Washington, D.C., and a gift from the union.
His colleagues clapped and called for a speech. He looked around for a second and then shrugged.
"Well," said Mr. Dawson. "I guess that's it."
Published: Thu, Jan 08, 2015
