PEORIA, AZ (AZFamily) — Sorting mail and organizing deliveries doesn’t sound like a glamorous job, but don’t tell that to Randy McLaughlin, whose dream as a young boy growing up in Gila Bend, Arizona, was to become a mailman.
“I was always intrigued by what went on inside, how it all went down and was delivered,” said McLaughlin. “I would always look in back and say this is what I want to do when I’m old enough to do it.”
McLaughlin’s love of delivering mail took off when he joined the Navy in 1971 and delivered letters on his ship.
He then accepted a position with the U.S. Postal Service. Five decades later, McLaughlin is still doing what he loves.
“I thought about retiring five years ago, but the route I have is so nice, and the people are so nice, I just stayed a little longer,” said McLaughlin. The next thing I knew, it has been 53 years.”
Arizona’s Family recently followed McLaughlin on his Peoria route. Customers are starting to learn that their long-time beloved mail carrier is retiring at the end of April.
