Long walk ends for retiring Libertyville postman

About an hour into his first day on the job, Bob Smothers experienced the prototypical bane of a postal carrier: he was bitten by a dog.

His supervisor at the time suggested another line of work. But Smothers, a Vietnam veteran who served in the Marines, had found a calling that would last 41 years.

“I love being outside. For me, I couldn't have found a better job if I wanted to,” he said Wednesday after being given a special retirement send off by six classes of second and third graders at Copeland Manor school in Libertyville.

Smothers officially retires May 1 but is using up vacation in advance of that. So for all practical purposes, his appointed rounds have ended.

Remarkably, for his entire career, Smothers plied the same route within blocks of his home on the southeast side of Libertyville.

As a walking route, interaction with customers was commonplace and welcomed by Smothers, who swapped news of the day and made friendships along the way.

“I felt good at the end of the day,” he said of completing his 7-mile route.

He also became a solid and reliable presence.

“Bob's like, you go into your house, you turn the switch on and the electricity is there,” Libertyville Postmaster Jerry Hoglund said.

Copeland Manor was among Smothers' 411 daily stops, a job that has kept the 66-year-old lean and fit.

When Principal Erik Youngman learned of the pending retirement, he decided to do something special.

The recognition for Smothers evolved into a connection with the school's social studies, reading, music and art curriculum, and its Character Counts message of citizenship and respect.

With the stage literally set, Smothers, accompanied by his wife, Sharon, and granddaughter, Sydney, entered the school lunchroom to a spirited and flawless rendition of “Please Mr. Postman,” a 1961 hit for the Marvelettes.

For once, Smothers took a seat.

“You've always walked into Copeland with a sincere and friendly smile and a positive attitude,” Youngman said. “Students recognize the consistency,” he added after the ceremony.

With students' help, Smothers' career was put into perspective. Over 40 years, it was estimated he delivered to the school more than 36,000 pieces of mail weighing more than 362,000 pounds.

“Numbers mean nothing unless you put it in a context,” Youngman said. “He has gone around the earth more than three times to deliver our mail.”

Students also presented Smothers with a portrait they painted, as well as a supersized envelope stuffed with thank-you letters and cards. An encore of “Please Mr. Postman” ended the assembly. “This is way more than I ever thought. I'll always remember this. It means a lot to me,” Smothers said afterward.

Changes have come to the postal service in Libertyville, which as of April 9 had reduced the number of routes from 31 to 24, the result of greater efficiency in sorting, according to Hoglund.

“They're in the office less and on the street more,” he said. Libertyville-based carriers deliver about 85,000 pieces of mail a day.

Smothers, who began his career driving the sorted mail to a spot on his route in his own car, a 1969 Triumph TR6, said increased layers of rules has made the job more difficult.

“It was my time to go,” he said. A trip to Las Vegas is in the cards but otherwise, Smothers' agenda is open.

“I have to set up some type of walking routine,” he added.