John Bodrick has a laid-back spirit, warm grin and sharp wit that have served him well in a career in which neither snow, rain, heat, nor gloom of night can be a deterrent.

He has had his fingers bitten by dogs and has had to find his way through 50-story office buildings while delivering mail, but he says his 37-year career with the U.S. Postal Service has been an enjoyable one.

“One of the most important parts of my job is to see those smiling faces of my customers. My main thing was to make sure that they had the best service that they could receive,” said Bodrick, who retired this year from the Orangeburg Post Office. His last day was Nov. 30.

The 55-year-old native of the tiny Calhoun County community of Lone Star began his career with the U.S. Postal Service at age 17 when he left Lone Star for New York in 1969.

“Back in 1969, there weren’t many jobs then. I was seeking a job. I had family in New York. I have family members that also worked in the post office, a sister, brother-in-law and cousins,” said Bodrick, who started as a clerk at the General Post Office across from Madison Square Garden.

The skinny kid from Calhoun County was one of the youngest employees, but he found comfort in having his sister, Essie, working as a clerk in the same post office.

Bodrick’s job as clerk didn’t last long, however, because he didn’t like being stationary, nor did he like working from 5 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. He was soon transferred to a carrier position.

“That was not my cup of tea as a 17-year-old. Then you had to work on weekends on top of that. By changing over to a city carrier, you’re off at night and you have your weekends and evenings. You may work on Saturday, but at least you’re off before 5 o’clock in the evening,” Bodrick said.

He worked the busy financial district, which included Wall Street and the United Nations buildings. He delivered mail in 30- to 50-story buildings, but found the elevators and air-conditioned buildings made his job easier.

“You’re in one building practically all day. It took at least eight hours sometimes for me to deliver because of the volume. We delivered mail three times a day because business mail never stops. We have 500 carriers working at the post office I worked in, and it was a 24-hour job,” he said, noting that some carriers actually worked at night sorting and preparing mail for the next day.

“Back then, you didn’t have computers and e-mail and all that kind of stuff. Everything depended on the postal service. The job is time-sensitive. You had to be on a route at a certain time and sort your mail up in so many minutes. You need good people skills, and organization is important,” Bodrick said.

He worked at the Grand Central Post Office in New York for 15 years before financial considerations forced him to transfer to Orangeburg, where he began working as a carrier in 1984. He served as an acting supervisor for approximately a year, but, again, didn’t like “being stuck inside, answering customer complaints and managing people with 1,000 personalities.”

“The cost of living in New York was too much. It still is. I thought the family life was a lot better here for a family as far as schools, but it was mainly the cost of living,” Bodrick said.

There was a world of difference between his job in New York and his job in Orangeburg, Bodrick said. He now had a residential route and had to deal with dogs and other animals, but was also treated to cakes and pies and sodas from the majority of senior citizens on his route.

The slower pace of life and the long, hot summers was a definite transition for the city slicker.

“I got a lot of stories. I had over 520 people on that route. I only had one business, and that was The Taylor Agency. That was my first stop, and we made each other’s day,” Bodrick said. “ I’d crack a joke or two to wake them up and, from then on, my day was rolling on pretty good. I had some of the best customers.”

Bodrick said even the customer who urged him to pet his supposedly docile dog, Duke, was among them. He eventually got his fingers nipped, but said the senior citizens and children with whom he formed strong bonds made it all worthwhile.

“Children like to go to the truck and pick up the mail and senior citizens, too. Most of them are kinda lonely. The highlight of their day is to see the letter carrier come by. If you’ve been on a route for as long as I have, you get to meet children as babies and then they grow up and go to college,” Bodrick said. “You’re like, ’Darn, this kid has grown. I remember when they were three months old, and today they’re 19 and off to college and getting married.’ That is interesting.”

Bodrick said he loved his work, and money was not a factor in his performance. He enjoyed participating in community service projects such as the annual food drive put on by the National Association of Letter Carriers and the U.S. Postal Service. Customers are asked to put food out by their mail boxes on a specially designated day in May.

“It replenished the food banks, and that food comes in handy for those less fortunate than we are. Even though it works us a little hard on that day, it’s worth it. My customers made sure I had enough,” said Bodrick, whose family threw a retirement party for him on Nov. 18.

Bodrick is the father of three children: Keischa, 35; Alimayo, 30 and Aiesha, 28. His three grandchildren are Dasia, Jihad and Nijari. He is also the recipient of several awards, including one from the NALC, which was presented to him during his retirement party.

He has served as both vice president and president of Orangeburg NALC Branch 1782, as an instructor at the Carrier Academy for the Columbia District and as a member of the Columbia Area Safety Team.

Bodrick said toiling through snow, rain, sleet and the gloom of night soon began to take a toll on his aging body, and he is now ready to engage in more volunteer work including a possible stint in a youth mentorship.

“You can feel it once you start getting a certain age, so I thought it was time. I liked what I was doing, but after about 37 years and being eligible to retire, I figure it was time to do something a little bit different. A lot of my customers said, ’You can’t do that. We’re gonna miss you. What are we gonna do?’ I told them they would be fine,” Bodrick said, grinning.

T&D Staff Writer Dionne Gleaton can be reached by e-mail at dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5534. Discuss this and other stories at TheTandD.com.

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