USPS Carrier Delivers Mail for Final Time After 31 Years — and Is Shocked by Community's Surprise Gesture (Exclusive)
Bill Buda's route was between Silver Lake Village and Stow, Ohio
Alexa Buda
Family joins their dad for his final walk as a USPS mail carrierBill Buda was a USPS mail carrier for 31 years in Ohio.
For 24 years he walked the same route between Silver Lake Village and Stow, Ohio.
When it came time for Bill to retire this year, he asked his family, including his daughter Alexa, 27, to walk the route with him one last time.
During the route, the family was surprised to see people throwing Bill a retirement party.
Every day for 24 years, Bill Buda walked the same route between Silver Lake Village and Stow, Ohio.
A USPS mail carrier for 31 years, Bill, 59, exemplified dedication, putting his heart and soul into his career. He built lasting relationships with the families he served, often watching their children grow up, and only took a sick day twice.
At one point in his career, he wore a different sports team's hat every day. It became a game for the kids and older residents he served to guess which hat he was wearing. He’d cover the logo, and based on the colors, they would try to guess, or he’d give hints about whether it was MLB or NFL, for example.
Alexa Buda
Bill Buda with some of the people on his routeWhen it came time for Bill to retire this year, he asked his family, including his daughter Alexa, 27, to walk the route with him one last time. As they ventured out and approached the first house, they noticed people gathered outside. Then they saw a banner hanging from a porch.
“At first, I thought it was just for a party, but as we got closer, I realized it read, ‘Happy Retirement, Bill,’ ” Alexa tells PEOPLE exclusively. “I was touched that they had put that up for him, but that was just the beginning.”
“They set up a little barbecue with snacks and water, and about 10 to 15 people from the surrounding houses came by,” she adds. “It was really cool to see because I wasn’t expecting any of this. He just thought it was another day. It turned into a really special goodbye that I don’t think he knew he needed until it happened.”
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Alexa Buda
Bill Buda with his familyThe route, which usually took her dad about seven or eight hours, ended up taking the family almost 10 hours because they chatted with nearly everyone along the way. Throughout the journey, Alexa, a content creator, recorded on her phone and later compiled the videos for TikTok. To her surprise, the video went viral, garnering more than 750,000 views and 1,700 comments.
“I posted it and had so many people I hadn’t seen in over 10 or 15 years commenting, ‘I remember when he’d come to recess,’ ” she shares. “That was really special because many of the people on his route were childhood friends and family connections. My mom works at the local bank, so they’re all part of the community.”
Reflecting on her dad's life, Alexa notes that he grew up as an athlete and was a college basketball player hoping to play professionally overseas. However, during one of his tryouts, he collapsed, and his heart stopped for a few minutes due to a problem with his mitral valve, ultimately ending his basketball career.
At that time, his dad advised Bill to choose a career that would keep him active. Bill took on various desk jobs, including accounting, but found it challenging to maintain an active lifestyle given his heart condition.
Alexa Buda
Bill Buda and Alexa Buda“It was kind of a blessing in disguise that he found this specific postal job,” Alexa says. “Back in the ’90s, it was really competitive to get in. We always tell him that this job literally saved his life because walking 13 to 14 miles a day kept his heart, body and mind healthy. I think everything else was fate and part of God’s plan.”
“His route was probably just 10 minutes from our childhood home,” Alexa adds. “We had many personal connections with some of the people there, but I had no idea how much of an impact he made on their lives. In this day and age, my fiancé and I just recently bought a home, and we don’t really communicate with our mailman. Sure, we say hi, but as this generation becomes more digital, genuine interactions with people are becoming rare.”
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