How My Father Retired
In the middle of October, my thoughts naturally return to my father.
His birthday is in a few days. He would be 95.
He died at 88, and so he had a good, long, and happy life. I don’t think he had too many regrets. He worked hard. He was honest. He was unceasingly cheerful. He loved and was loved.
That’s what I would call a successful life.
Recently, I saw this image on Facebook:
The same day, I was discussing my retirement (in glorious terms… I love it), and I recalled my father’s own retirement.
Here is how he retired:
After my mother retired, Dad started to consider his own retirement. He liked his job very much, but understood that there would come a time to let it go. To move on and enjoy the leisure years with his wife.
He had no pension from his job, but he and my mom had been saving, and so, when he was eligible for health coverage under Medicare, he retired.
Well, almost.
He decided to ease into retirement by cutting his hours. (I did the same… it makes for a nice transition.) And when he was finally ready, he stopped. He was well-loved at work – he was the inside sales manager for a factory that produced precision gauges – and they threw him a marvelous retirement party.
All done. And ready to enjoy retirement.
Well, almost.
It wasn’t too long afterwards that his employer called him and asked him to come back – at least part-time. They needed his skills. And since he had always enjoyed it, and had no burning quests to fulfill at the moment, he agreed.
So he went back and worked for a while again.
Dad was happy.
Then the economy took a turn for the worse, and there was a correspondingly downturn in business at Dad’s plant.
And he saw plans in the works for a layoff.
Dad went to the owner of the business and made a request.
“Please keep someone on who has a family to support, and let me go instead.”
And they did.
Dad was happy.
He sent the elevator back down.
And he finally retired.
My father later said to me that everyone should get a turn. And his turn was great, but it was the next guy’s turn.
If I have become a good person, it is because I have had such good examples.
Happy Birthday, Dad.
You sent the elevator back down for me too.
Dad, around 1945. Awarded the Purple Heart twice and my heart forever.
- Posted in: Aging ♦ kindness ♦ Memories ♦ Work
- Tagged: Dad, Family, Fathers, good examples, retirement, Role Models
notquiteold 
Dads are such special people.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He sounds very special.
LikeLike
He was! My siblings and I were so fortunate!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Tom was a great and sweet guy. Funny I didn’t know him that well when we were growing up. Dad’s worked a lot, your mom on the other hand was like a second mother. It takes a Village, and we had a wonderful village around us. Later in life, when I started taking walks at Norton Park and when I brought my dad to see the Old Time Fiddlers I got to know him much better. He walked me around Norton Park, “a young lady shouldn’t walk alone in a park”. I saw him almost every day. And the one thing that brought me to tears, Jerry Lagasse was playing “The Tennessee Waltz” and my dad said to yours,”boy we danced to that tune a lot way back when” Dad shared with me that night, it was the last dance they played at the Eagles Club every Friday night and he finally got the nerve to ask my mom to dance. And the rest is history. “Happy Birthday Mr. Dube”
LikeLike
My dad did love that song! And he loved to dance. Thank you for sharing the memory.
LikeLike
Thank goodness for our father (and Uncle George) or my mother would never had danced again in her life – her brothers always danced with her when possible (Daddy;s picture should have been on the song “I Won’t Dance”). How they all loved to dance.
LikeLike
This is so lovely. Thank you for sharing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aw, what a special man. Love your caption to his photo.
LikeLike
Thanks Dianna. I only just this week saw this photo for the first time. I love it.
LikeLike
that’s so lovely!
LikeLiked by 1 person
💝
LikeLiked by 1 person
sweet story and you must be very proud of your dad, He must have been a remarkable man.
LikeLike
He was a good person – all through his life.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh! I just loved this! Brought tears to my eyes — what a special man, and a special wonderful loving memory. Thank you for sharing him with me. MJ
LikeLike
Thanks, he was a smart man with a good heart – an amazing combination.
LikeLike
Your Dad was the kind of Dad that every little girl dreams of having. It really is uplifting to know that they really do exist … not just for Wally and the Beaver. Thanks for sharing.
LikeLike
I have joked often that I was raised by Ozzie and Harriet. We were THAT wholesome!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reminds me a lot of my dad. Real gentlemen and gentle men.
LikeLike
I’m glad you have good memories too.
LikeLike
What a terrific example your dad gave! You were lucky to have him in your life….
LikeLike
He and my mother both gave mee the blessing of their good examples all my life. My mother still does.
LikeLike
Heartwarming!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am so moved by this. Thank you for sharing this bit of your dad, and you. (My own manager, whom I adore, just announced his own retirement. I’ll miss him, but it is indeed his time to “move on and enjoy the leisure years with his wife.” I can’t remotely fault him that!)
LikeLike
I recently retired, and it was heartwarming to be asked to stay. But it was time – let someone else have a turn.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lovely story, thanks for sharing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad that Mom and Dad were able to enjoy a lot of activities and travel in their leisure years before his health started to decline. On a separate note, that picture of Dad really shows how much you resemble him.
LikeLike
Yes… I got ALL his genes!
LikeLike
I am happy you had a great father and a very good man.
LikeLike
Yes, he was both. And my mother was and still is (at 93) a great mother and a very good woman.
LikeLike
Yes, you are very lucky to have had such a great dad (and mom). I like that you don’t take that for granted. Your dad was handsome as well.
LikeLike
He was very handsome. My mother likes to tell the story about going to the senior center for lunch when they were in their 80s, and overhearing a few ladies saying….”There is Tom Dube – he was the cutest boy in school!”
LikeLike
Great memory. I love the idea of sending the elevator back down
LikeLike
A nice analogy – and we should do it more often!
LikeLike
you had a great and a very good father.
LikeLike