Postal worker retires in Gulf Breeze 41 years and one million miles later

BY MATT PELLEGRINO Gulf Breeze News

Gary Rhodes smiles during his going away party on March 27. Rhodes retired from the
GB Post Office after 41 years. Photo by Mat Pellegrino | GBN

If there’s one thing that Gary Rhodes has seen throughout his life, it’s been change.

A change in the Gulf Breeze area, the color of his hair, and the cost of a stamp.

And now, the Gulf Breeze resident wants something else in his life to change: what he does with his days.

That’s because the postal worker decided to hang up his hat after 41 years, and nine months of service with the postal service.

The local post office held a retirement celebration for the worker on March 27, presenting him with some overdue thanks.

That included a check from the United States Postal Service for one million miles on the force with no traffic accidents.

Rhodes said that he was excited to get the check because it was something he had waited on for some time.
When Rhodes started on the force four decades ago, there were a total of nine routes in Gulf Breeze. Now, there are 24 routes in Gulf Breeze alone.

A lot of Rhodes’ co-workers said he hardly missed any days of work.

The native showed his age when he admitted Buddy Anderson was the post master when he started working.

The current postmaster, Val Johnson said she knew Rhodes for almost a decade, and was proud that he served the Gulf Breeze Post Office for so long.

Rhodes officially hung up his hat on March 28.