TRAVERSE CITY -- They didn't get a big speech from Tom Smith.
The 33-year United States Postal Service veteran received a fancy certificate, framed artwork and even a piece of cured Alaska salmon during his retirement pot luck at the postal processing facility on Garfield Road Friday.
After "Smitty" heard praise from his boss and co-workers, it was his turn to talk. He paused after surveying the smiling crowd, and it became clear he struggled to fight back tears.
"I'm not going to make it," he said.
But the Traverse City native kept his composure and thanked the crowd, who gave him a lengthy round of applause before digging into several tables of food.
Smith began work at the downtown Traverse City post office in 1975 after a four-year stint in the Navy. After 37 years, 11 months and 19 days of government service, Friday was his last day. He's always worked on the mail processing side, and finished his service supervising incoming and outgoing trucks.
Smith started before the Garfield Road and Barlow Street facilities existed, before automated machines read addresses and sorted envelopes. It cost a dime to send a letter in those days, and processing the mail was a much more social event, he said.
"You'd sit there, you'd sort mail all night and you'd talk to people. Now you've got machines running," he said. "It's gone from a mom-and-pop grocery store to a factory. It's completely different."
The amount of mail has changed, too.
"It's unbelievable, the volume is just absolutely crazy," Smith said. "It goes from bags of mail to semis of mail ... when I first started, the routes were delivered in pickup trucks. Now that truck is a 26-foot truck that holds 10 times the mail."
Smith contends quality employees are still the backbone of the system, no matter how many machines are utilized. He looks forward to spending time with his family -- and to having more time to hunt and fish -- but he'll miss the camaraderie he shares with those employees.
"I've got friends here I've known for my whole adult life, basically," he said. "They're all great people."
His co-workers shared his sentiments, and many current and former employees gave him long hugs or firm handshakes at the pot luck.
"I'll still be fishing with him," said Tom Connors, a bulk mail clerk who worked with Smith for 15 years. "But I'll miss him around here, that's for sure. He's a good man."
Rick Adair, one of Smith's bosses, said Smith will leave a hole.
"This is one gentleman I'm going to truly miss," he said.
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