Randol Thomas has retired from the United States Postal Office in Mount Olivet after 43 years of service.
Submitted by Patti Thomas
MOUNT OLIVET — Randol Thomas, a carrier at the United States Postal Office in Mount Olivet, recently retired after 43 years of service.
“After 43 years at the Mount Olivet post office, it’s time to say goodbye,” Thomas began.
According to Thomas, he has lived in Mount Olivet his entire life. He graduated from Deming High School in June of 1981 and began working at the post office in August of that same year.
Thomas noted that he worked as a sub on his postal route until 1989. Since then, he has been full-time on route two in Mount Olivet. He added that he lives on the route he drove in his years as a carrier.
In 43 years, Thomas has seen several changes at the post office. According to Thomas, he has seen five subs and six postmasters at the Mount Olivet location since starting in 1981.
He noted the difference in technology and the demands of his job since his first day as a mail carrier.
According to Thomas, the post office used to sort and carry the mail on their own. He said the post office now uses a “DPS” service. The service allows mail to already be sorted when the post office receives it, he said.
Thomas noted that carriers only have to deliver the mail now. He went on to compare the amount of packages and letters received in the mail today to mail received 40 years ago.
In his most recent years as a carrier, Thomas noticed a trend of more packages being delivered through the post office in comparison to what used to be mainly letters.
He noted the number of letters has likely decreased due to the changes in communication methods. Thomas used cell phones and internet as an example for communication changes.
Thomas briefly discussed the changes in the length of his route since he became a full-time carrier.
According to Thomas, his beginning route was 80 miles long with 400 customers. Before retirement, his route was 93 miles long with over 500 customers.
“That’s how much the post office has growed in the last 40 sum years,” Thomas remarked. He went on to discuss his work as a carrier and the challenges he face in the position.
Thomas said, other than snow in the winter, the job of a mail carrier is a “perfect” job to have. He explained that winter months can be difficult as a driver, depending on the weather when he drove his route.
“I had more trouble with the weather than I did the mail. When the sun was shining, everything was okay. When there’s ice on the road and four or five inches of snow, it just took you longer to finish your route and it’d just make it more of a job,” Thomas said.
If there is even four to six inches of snow on the ground, it can be more difficult to get customers their mail, he said. Thomas added that he has seen so much as 30 inches of snow since he first began his career.
He briefly discussed the busier times of the year for a mail carrier.
According to Thomas, business can be “especially” busy around Christmas time. He explained the holiday season is typically busier due to gifts being sent through the mail.
“I pretty well stay busy,” Thomas said. He went on to discuss his plans for retirement.
According to Thomas, he would like to farm, spend time with his family, and dedicate more time to hunting and fishing. Thomas has a wife, daughter, and grandkids he wants to spend time with, he said.
Patti Thomas, Randol’s wife, suggested she was proud of her husband for his retirement and service at the post-office. Randol Thomas continued.
According to Thomas, he would like to making hunting and fishing a “priority” since he has never really had enough time to dedicate to the hobby when he was full-time at the post office.
Thomas went on to share some brief remarks on his retirement.
“It’s been a long haul. From sunny skies to 33 inches of snow, it’s been a great experience,” Thomas said. “Just wanna say thank you to all my customers. You have been great to work for.”
He continued, ““I’m pretty excited to be gone, I’m just gonna miss everybody.”
Before retirement, Thomas was given a Million Mile Award for driving one million miles without a preventable accident as a mail carrier, he said. He noted the award is not commonly given out.
Thomas continued to thank his customers for their support throughout the years and noted he would miss his coworkers as he steps into retirement. He added he had a retirement party on his last day of work last week.
