ROCKPORT — For more than 60 years, a Salo — not always the same one — has filled the postal needs of Rockport residents, assisting thousands of customers with their postage, letters and packages.
That tradition came to a close last Tuesday when Lary Salo stepped away from his position as a letter carrier after more than 28 years. Lary Salo’s retirement follows that of his brother, Dana Salo, who retired in 2019 after what Dana said was “36 years and 8 months.” The brothers followed in the footsteps of their father, Richard Salo, who retired 24 years after he began work at the Post Office in 1960.
Lary Salo, 63, calls the Rockport Post Office, 39 Broadway, the “Taj Mahal” of post offices.
“It’s a small close-knit family,” he said. “There are few disputes and everybody gets along.”
Calandra Salo said she is excited for her husband’s retirement. The Salos live in Rockport.
“It’s well deserved,” she said. “All the Salo men who have worked at the Post Office have been very well received by their community. They provided a high level of service. Everybody commented on the attention to going above and beyond.”
While Lary Salo appreciates his fellow workers, he had even more praise for his postal customers.
“At one point, I knew them all by name,” he said of thousands of Rockport residents through the years he was put in touch with through his work as a letter carrier.
Salo said his long tenure was due, in part, to his affable personality.
“I guess it says I was easy to put up with,” he said. “I’m a friendly guy and I have a good sense of humor so that helps. I like to talk to people.”
But, he said, “As much as I love my customers, I promise you it’s not enough.”
Regarding his new-found retirement, Salo thinks the time has come. The challenge, he said, will be filling his day after years of routine. His work experience included a six-year stint in the U.S. Air Force, where he served as a weatherman.
“I’ve waited 28 years for this,” he said Friday. “It’s surreal during the day, but it’s starting to kick in. I do best with a routine.”
Salo’s send-off last Tuesday included a luncheon, given by about 20 of his fellow current and retired postal workers.
“It was a very enjoyable job,” he said. “I never wanted to work for the Post Office, but here I am.”
For a time, Salo ran a business redemption center on Railroad Avenue in Rockport.
He has several stories from his years with the Post Office, but one stands out. It relates to elderly woman who was being scammed, but unware of her plight.
Salo made sure her family members were notified about the situation.
“She was sending money to this guy, thinking she was going to marry him,” he said.
The Salos have two children, a daughter in North Carolina, and son who lives in Rockport.
But the future for the Salos looks like they will be North Carolina-bound as they are building a house there in Alamance. They plan to move next February.
“We’ll be seven minutes from the grandkids,” Salo said. “We have three at the moment.”
During their dual tenures, the two Salo brothers often worked together.
“I loved every minute of it and that’s the honest truth,” Lary Salo said.
Dana Salo said his brother has always been a straight shooter.
“He always wore the uniform properly,” he said. “I wish my brother a long and happy retirement.”
Stephen Hagan can be reached at 978-675-2708 or at shagan@northofboston.com.