Postman Podsiki retires from Haines post office after 32 years

Haines celebrated the retirement of a long-time post office worker, after thirty two years of service. Known for his creative art displays, cheerful attitude and dedication to the community and mail service, Haines residents say Greg Podsiki will be missed.

Greg Podsiki’s last day at the Haines post office – after 32 years and one day – started with a surprise. 

“This morning, I came in and behind the counter were all my kids and grandkids, almost all my kids and grandkids. And they popped up above the counter, and then all this was up there, and it’s very nice,” he said.

Family and coworkers had draped a handmade banner in front of the post office counter reading ‘Come celebrate Greg’s Last Day, April 29’ And the celebration went all day from there.

Haines residents dropped by the post office to share well-wishes for Podsiki’s retirement. A friend brought a sheet cake. There were balloons and a large card on a table crowded with signatures and thank you notes.

“I feel like I’m graduating from high school, except I have a little money,” he said laughing. “It’s a little different than high school, right. I don’t have to go to college, I don’t have to get a job. Feels very free. It’s a very nice feeling.”

Haines resident Carol Mitchell came by to wish him well.

“​​He’s always been here no matter what. And so many people love him and appreciate his service and his good cheer, and his amazing talent, and his collection of art. And everything that he does to make this place so special.”

Podsiki arrived in Haines in 1979. He says he worked all kinds of jobs:  construction, fish and game, forestry, and firefighting. By 1990, he was married with two kids and one on the way, and decided to apply to the post office.

“When I first got the job at the post office, first thing I did was come in the back and say, ‘OK, I can do this — as long as I have windows.’ I always worked outdoors,” he said. “I was happy to see there’s windows. I said, ‘OK, if you’re offering me the job, I’ll take the job.”

He had a good memory for numbers, and enjoyed it. Over the years he’s seen it all: the postal system turning digital, freak weather patterns and mail delays, and then the advent of online shopping. He says the volume of mail has doubled in his time, sometimes up to 2,000 packages a day, but on average about 400 packages a day

“Bigger, heavier packages, things that people can’t get down south,” he said. “Things like specialty dog food, they’re like 50 to 60 pound boxes. So we do a lot more lifting of heavy packages, a lot more of them.” 

As we’re talking, people come by with congratulations and shake his hand. 

And there are plenty of stories. He’s snowmachined to work. He’s helped people get their medications as quickly as possible. He’s handled live animals, like baby chicks. 

“The grossest thing that ever happened while I was here is that people get worms in the mail for their gardens,” he said. “And over the weekend, worms that escaped out of their box, and that there were these little spaghetti shaped worms. And they dried up really fast, and they were all over the shelves and all over the floor. It was like dried spaghetti that we had to scrape these dead worms off.”

Podsiki is also well-known for creative art displays on the big wall behind the counter – brightly colored painted scenes, paper cutouts and seasonal decorations. He said it started about 15 years ago.

“I just thought I was so ugly, it’s so just a blank white wall. Why don’t we do something with it. So whenever there’s a change in the season, or a special holiday, or a special Alaskan event like the Iditarod, we’ve put something up,” Podsiki said.

Now coworkers, friends, and school children all chip in. The current art display is a spring vista in full bloom, with paper plates painted and crafted into flowers, butterflies, birds and bees.

Postmaster Genevieve Bell says Podsiki was a joy to work with, and they expect to carry on the art and decorative traditions

“As Greg always says, it’s about the little things, and so we try to just make every day special, every event special, for each other and for the community.”

Dominique Saenz, a teacher’s aide for the kindergarten, stops by to deliver handwritten cards from the class. 

“They didn’t really know who he was at first, and we’re like, you know, the really tall guy, you always see at the post office? Oh yeah, oh yeah, we gotta write him a note. So they all wrote something cute in there and it’s super special. Everyone knows Greg,” she says laughing. 

As for retirement, Podsiki says he’ll be enjoying time off and also staying busy. He’s planning to travel, write a book of Alaska cartoons, and spend time with his family and working on his house.