If you have gained the respect of your co-workers and your customers, you’ve done very well in your career. USPS Mail Carrier Chris Malinowski retired Friday, August 1, 2025, after serving the Regent Park neighborhood in Arlington Heights across Kensington Road from Prospect High School in Mount Prospect since August 12, 1973. He worked two years for the United States Postal Service (USPS) before beginning his permanent route, and he consistently worked his route for 52 years.
Those years from 1973 to 2025 involved some wear and tear on his body, but he learned to pace himself. Weather and dogs were issues, but he survived the heat and the cold. He recalled that -20°F in 1984 or 1985 was probably the worst weather he endured during his career. Also, lightning was a hazard of the job, and once he felt his hair raise when light struck nearby.
He was never bitten by dog, but he had to use his letter satchel like a matador several times to evade close calls with aggressive dogs.
