Welcome to a new series where we spotlight the people and stories that make headlines. This week, we’re honoring the retirement of John Reynolds, postmaster of Yosemite National Park in California. After an amazing 40-year career, John is now ready to take on retirement.
John’s story began in 1978 when he took a summer job at the Yosemite Post Office. This was no ordinary job; his mother was a 43-year employee of the same post office. John worked his way up through the ranks, eventually becoming the postmaster for El Portal in 2004 and then the postmaster for Yosemite in 2012.
John and his wife Christine were born and raised in Yosemite Valley, and they raised their family there as well. As a perk of the job, they lived in the postmaster’s house, a rare opportunity that is only available in a handful of U.S. post offices, including Yosemite, Yellowstone, and The Grand Canyon.
John’s impact on his community was widely felt. One family friend and Yosemite local, Micole Mccarthy, shared a story of how John went above and beyond to make sure she got her pre-ordered Harry Potter book on the same day as the rest of the U.S.
John’s plans for retirement include exploring the back-country he’s never seen, traveling to Europe, and taking lots of road trips on his motorcycle.
John’s hard work and dedication to the Yosemite Post Office will be remembered for years to come. We wish him the best of luck in his retirement!
Source: www.npr.org