 Thomas
Retires After 36-Plus Years Of City Service
The comptroller’s office lost another veteran employee
to retirement in June. Betty Thomas, control section, turned in
her city identification card after more than 36 years of service
to city of St. Louis taxpayers.
Thomas began her tenure with the city on December
7, 1970. Her civil service career spanned seven mayors and seven
comptrollers. She worked in the comptroller’s office all but four
of those years when she spent time at the street department.
“We’re all very sad to see Betty go, but at the
same time, we’re glad she can now enjoy the retirement she’s worked
so hard for and certainly deserves,” said Comptroller Darlene Green.
Thomas said she will naturally miss all her friends
and co-workers and the sense of accomplishment she got from her
work.
“I will miss the satisfaction of a job or an assignment
well done. I’ll miss the feeling of camaraderie and being a member
of an extended family. I guess old routines and habits will be hard
to break, but I am so looking forward to establishing new habits.”
Some of those new habits, according to Thomas,
include getting up at her own time and not dreading 10 p.m. on Sunday
evenings and dealing with the age-old problem trying to figure out
what to wear to work.
In the short term, Thomas says she plans to do
“as little as possible.” Joking aside, Thomas plans to take long
walks, develop an exercise routine and read as late into the night
as she wants. Spending more time with family and friends also makes
her short-term to do list.
As far as long term plans, she is not in any hurry
to set a schedule. “Who really knows?” asks Thomas. “I’ll play it
by ear. After all I have time, don’t I?”
Betty Thomas (left) enjoys the comptroller’s
office holiday party last year with co-workers
Kerri Brown (center) and Diane Bjorklund. Thomas retired at the
end of June after more
than 35 years of public service to the city of St. Louis.
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