Postal carrier retires after 30 years of service

By Monica Dufour
INDEX Staff Writer

DAVISON — Davison postal carrier Bob Amy spent his last day June 18, saying his good-byes and getting well wishes from residents on his postal route.

He has been delivering mail in the city for 30 years.

Amy graduated from Grand Blanc High School in 1970. In 1972, he was drafted into the United States Army. Amy spent 13 months in Korea before completing his 21-month time of service.

After being discharged from the service, Amy went to school and worked various jobs before being hired by Davison Postmaster Bill McGill in 1978.

He was encouraged to take the Civil Service test by his mother, Mariam. “I want to thank her for her encouragement,” he said. “I thank God for the opportunity to have been your mailman. I’ve became a lot better person as a result.”

Amy was greeted on his last day of mail delivery June 25 with waving balloons attached to mailboxes from some of the residents on Rayna Dr. at Wildwood Condominiums. The balloons were the idea of resident Delores Bennett. She even had a card and cake waiting in her mailbox.

“He’s been so good to me. I have a hard time getting around, and Bob would always hand deliver my mail,” she said.

“Everybody likes him,” Bennett said with a big smile.

“It was incredible,” Amy said later about the gesture. “I’ve made a lot of friends over the years. I’m really going to miss them,” he said.

A good-bye ceremony took place June 26 at the Davison Post Office. “I’d like to thank everyone for their friendship. It’s a small group and I made some great friends,” he said. “I’d also like to thank Denise Owen (Postmaster), and Debbie Danner (co-worker), for providing the food. It was a very special day,”

Amy has noticed a lot of changes in Davison over the years including the moving of the post office from Mill St. about nine years ago to its current Davison Township.

“They were talking about moving the post office to northeast Flint,” Amy said. “If it would have passed we’d be going to Flint to pick up or packages. Tom Ryan, the postmaster at the time, along with other local business leaders fought that idea, now look at the great post office we have today. The vision of these leaders left something great behind.”

Amy said the Davison area also has grown a lot over the years. “We’re getting some nicer restaurants which blend well with the older ones. We’re even getting a Meijer’s,” he said.

While Amy has had many routes over the years, he has spent the last 12 years delivering mail to residents on Lapeer Rd., Wildwood Condominiums and Courtyard Apartments.

He’s enjoyed the opportunity of meeting and getting to know residents on his routes. “The worst part is that I’m not going to see these great people so much,” he said.

Now that he’s retired, Amy plans to spend more time with his 11-year-old son, Stan. “He’s happy that I’m retired,” Amy said.

The retired post officer also plans to spend some time working on his recently purchased city residence. “I’m planning to do some restoring on the house. It was built around the 1800s. I also have a farm Tawas I’m working on,” he said.

Amy also plans to spend some time playing vintage jazz on his saxophone, collecting antique furniture, cars and photography.