After nearly 30 years as a carrier for the United States Postal Service (USPS) – with more than 700 drop-offs along his route through Carpinteria – John Heiduk is retiring in October of this year.
Heiduk began carrying mail in 1997, and has had his regular route through Carpinteria for more than 17 years, he told CVN. Beginning on Linden Avenue, to Ogan Road and through Nipomo Drive, Heiduk has seen many of the same families along his route for nearly 20 years.
“Everybody is really positive and friendly,” Heiduk told CVN. “I like the people I work with.”
Heiduk was born and raised in Santa Barbara, and he said the mail-carrying job was recommended to him by a friend, after the ice cream distributor he worked for was shut down. Throughout his entire career as a carrier, Heiduk has delivered mail solely in Carpinteria.
Donnette Hicks, one of Heiduk’s coworkers at the Carpinteria USPS office, said her office is lamenting losing one of its senior carriers. “He is one that takes great pride in delivering his mail,” she said. “Still tucking in the shirt… that always seems to be ironed.”