They've worked 42 years for this

Owning the title of longest-serving employee at the Culpeper Post Office is no small feat — “twenty-something” is a common refrain when folks at the downtown branch are asked how many years they have under their belt.

Soon, someone else will inherit the longevity honor, as custodian Thomas Gibson and general clerk Ronald Burke are retiring after 42 years each in the postal service.

Gibson, 81, logged his last day April 1. Burke, 63, plans to leave in a few weeks.

Both will miss the friendly faces they’ve seen for decades, and both anticipate a lot of fishing in their future.

During a retirement party for Gibson in the spacious back room of the post office, coworkers shared why the workplace won’t be the same without these two veterans.

Thomas Gibson

To a person, people describe Gibson as a sweet man whose loyalty and consistency made him a well-liked fixture. His steady work behind the scenes has kept the post office clean and in good running order since 1968.

“He’s the kind of man that, whatever he can do for you, he will,” said Melissa Marsh, a rural route carrier for 10 years. “He’s just a very good people person, and he cares a lot.”

Twenty-seven years ago, Gibson — affectionately known as “Uncle Jude” — gave his niece Yvonne Lewis a tip: Route 1 was looking for a sub. That’s how Lewis got her foot in the door. Today she is a full-time mail carrier who beams when talking about her uncle.

“The Lord only made one of him,” she said. “He is one of a kind.”

What has kept Gibson going all these years? He points to the heavens.

“I put the Lord in front of all of my work,” he said. “I’m a Christian, and the Lord goes in front of me.”

At 39, Gibson got a late start in the postal service. But he was no stranger to other downtown businesses, working at Lewis Pharmacy and the ABC store after a military career in the early 1950s.

Gibson, a Culpeper native who attended the Reva School and lives near U.S. 29 and South Merrimac Road, is married to Violet Gibson. They have two sons, Thomas and Michael, and a daughter, Patricia Hearns, all of whom reside in Culpeper.

“It’ll be a little different, but I’ll get used to it,” Gibson said when asked about not coming in to work every day. “I got a lot of friends, and the post office has been good to me.”

Ronald Burke

As a guy who handles customer service, balances the books, purchases supplies, orders stamps and performs a wealth of other administrative duties, Burke wears a lot of hats.

He came to Culpeper in 1985 from Annandale, and he’s done just about every type of job since his postal career began in 1968.

Co-worker Kim Jenkins, a sales associate who works the front desk, chuckles when describing Burke’s outgoing style and wry sense of humor.

“I will definitely miss my 10-minute break in my office chatting with Mr. Burke and him fussing at me over whatever he can come up with,” said Jenkins, a veteran of 30 years. “But I know he always did it in a good way. … He’s my stress relief.”

Burke said he takes with him good memories of everyone, especially Jenkins, day supervisor Carol German and Postmaster Donna Culbertson.

“The people … some good people,” Burke said. “There’s none of ’em here I don’t consider good friends.”

Burke, who lives in Brightwood, is married to Eleanor Burke. They have two daughters, Lynn Frye and Pamela Burke.