Today, Edith Farmer will retire from ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø after 21 years as a building service worker in Thwing Center. But longtime members of the campus community may recall seeing her smile around the building much longer than that.
After all, for eight years, Farmer worked in Thwing Center at University Food Service, which was managed by an outside foodservice provider, before she became a full-time employee at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø.
Since joining the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø community, Farmer has worked behind the scenes at Thwing Center preparing meeting spaces and cleaning up the building. Her work was critical to ensuring the busy building was ready for the day—opening its doors in the morning and inspecting every room prior to use.
As Farmer has watched the campus grow over the past 29 years, she’s noticed how Thwing Center has changed as well: The types of events held there have shifted, and some meeting rooms now are classrooms, for example.
Her favorite space in the building is the Cleveland Room, which is a common meeting place for university organizations. From the ornate woodworking to the grand fireplace, Farmer loves the warmth and elegance it conveys—and the memories it holds.
Farmer reflected fondly on the many lunches she shared over the years in the room with coworkers.
The people Farmer met along the years—from coworkers to students—are what she enjoyed most about the university. She loved greeting those who entered the building and giving directions or providing assistance in any way she could.
Every part of her job was about helping others—and now, she hopes to spend her time in retirement extending her impact to her community. In her newly discovered free time, Farmer plans to pursue volunteer opportunities at her church, St. Agnes Our Lady of Fatima, and continue singing in two choirs.
She also looks forward to spending more time with her husband, who is an avid fisherman. He makes his own lures, so Farmer hopes to learn to make them too.
A retirement party will be held for Farmer and , who retired from Thwing Center last month, today from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Jolly Scholar.
Be sure to stop by and wish them well in retirement—but first, check out Farmer’s answers to this week’s five questions.
5 questions with… retiring Thwing Center building service worker Edith Farmer
5QUESTIONS |
October 16, 2015
STORY BY: EDITORIAL STAFF
STORY BY: EDITORIAL STAFF