ORANGE PARK – Mark Miller wasn’t sure what he would do after he delivered his last piece of mail on March 28, but he was confident about one thing: “Whatever I do, it will be in air conditioning.”
After spending the last 30 years driving a mail truck or walking a beat around some sleepy Orange Park neighborhoods, Miller is tired of sweating. He’s ready to chill – literally – and enjoy whatever’s next in his life.
“I really haven’t thought about what I’m going to do,” he said after shaking hands and delivering mail to Roger Macik on Grasshopper Lane in the Holly Point West neighborhood. “It gets 120 degrees in that truck in the summer, so I won’t miss that. But in 30 years, I’ve made a lot of friends and a lot of memories. I will miss it dearly. It is bittersweet.”
Residents in the neighborhood decided to send Miller into retirement with a weeklong celebration. Streets, houses and mailboxes in Holly Point were decorated with banners, balloons and streamers. During his final days, Miller was given gifts, a sash and flowers.
“We wanted to do something special because he’s been such a good friend to everyone,” said April Pepera. “Everyone in the neighborhood knows him. We’re going to miss him.”
Residents gave him three cases of beer and a bottle of Scotch.
