Dundee Township says farewell to longtime employee Don Alesi

Thirty-one years is a long time to say you have worked for one employer!

But for Don Alesi, serving Dundee Township, where he was born and raised, for 31 years has been driven by his passion to provide service to his fellow residents. Don spent most of the time working at the Dundee Township Cemetery including serving as the cemetery manager for 12 years.

Most recently, he has worked for the Open Space Department helping maintain the natural areas in the township. He was always ready to entertain with a good story and always accepted any tasks assigned to him with a smile and a can-do attitude.

When asked to compare the two departments he said, "At the cemetery, you meet people during one of the most stressful times in their lives and you need to try and help them through the process. When a burial occurs, your work is completed. In Open Space, when you put something in the ground you want it to come alive.

"Also, at the cemetery you instantly know if you did a good job by helping someone," he said. "In Open Space, the work you do may take months or years to come to fruition and show results. Overall, both departments are very important to the township."

In commenting on his tenure with the township, Alesi said "I will miss all of my co-workers. I never thought that a temporary job would last 31 years. And be careful what you wish for. Dreams can come true and that's a good thing!"

Don and his wife, Maureen, and their two cats will be relocating to their property and cabin in the woods of South Dakota to start another very cool chapter in their lives. They are wished a happy and healthy retirement by everyone at the township!