August 28, 2002
Holmes receives first-class send-off
After 32 years, man leaves Post Office job in limousine
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Getting the surprise of his life, Marshall Holmes left work on his last day after 32 years at the Post Office in a luxury limousine. Surrounded by family and friends celebrating his retirement, Holmes was whisked away for a lengthy cruise around the area and then an extended celebration lunch.
The ride, which was arranged by his wife, Becky, was the culmination of a week of good-byes - including a lasagna 'lunch' at 8:30 Friday morning for the early-shift worker and his pals.
"The whole week was an exciting week," Holmes said. "A lot of friends expressed that they would miss me so I guess you don't realize how you come across with people until you are ready to leave."
"After working somewhere so many years, you hope you leave a good image," he noted. "So that was important to me."
Holmes decided to retire at 55, the first year of eligibility. He had served three years in the Army, working in mail delivery at bases in Korea and Arizona, before joining the post office in 1970.
"I guess that is a little young these days, but I just thought it was a good time," said the Tustin native, noting his retirement has not really sunk in yet.
"I'll probably eventually get another job, part-time, because I think I'm going to want to get out of the house," he added.
Over the decades, Holmes has built many friendships with co-workers. During his years at the downtown post office and the mail-processing center, he said the people he worked with became like an extended family. Hunting and fishing together, they spent a lot of time outside of work in one another's company.
"The most enjoyable part of these years was probably the camaraderie among the employees," he said. "We had a lot of fun and we knew each others' families real well."
Long-time pal Tom Smith, a 27-year veteran of the Postal Service, said that Holmes would be missed. Co-workers for 25 years, Smith said spending so much time with Holmes - both at work and after - forged a strong bond.
"You always miss Marshall when he's not there," Smith said, adding that Holmes was the kind of person who would do anything for a friend. "He's a super guy and the type where you wonder where he's at and what he's doing."
Holmes' duties with the Postal Service have included sorting letters and flats, delivering express mail, sorting parcel post and airmail. The past two years he has been back downtown, helping business customers who came in to pick up early morning mail. Throughout his career he has worked either midnight shifts - two decades' worth - or a very early morning shift that began at 5 a.m.
Holmes has also witnessed dramatic technological advances that have changed the nature of his job over the past three decades.
"Almost everything is handled by machine anymore, but it used to be all manually sorted," Holmes said. "Now the machines handle probably 90 percent of the letters and flats, there are not near as many people to sort the mail anymore."