60 years of combined service

Husband, wife retire from state positions on the same day

Randy Burns / The Item Beth and Jerry Dubose posed Tuesdy for a photo during an informal luncheon held at the Bishopville School Bus Shop held in their honor.

By RANDY BURNS
Item Staff Writer
rburns@theitem.com

BISHOPVILLE - Husband and wife Jerry and Beth Dubose walked away Tuesday from their respective state jobs after providing a combined total of 60 years of service.

Jerry spent 32 years at the Lee School Bus Shop, a state Department of Education facility in Bishopville. He worked his way up from fuel tanker driver to mechanic and then to shop foreman.

After teaching in Greenville for one year, Beth began working at the Division of Motor Vehicles Office in Bishopville, a place she called home for 27 years. Since 1992, she has been the manager of the Bishopville office.

They realize their circumstances have uniquely been mirror images of the other. Very few “state jobs” are to be had in Bishopville with about all of them being at the DMV office, the School Bus Shop and the Department of Transportation.

Jerry and Beth say they have been blessed to have jobs they love in the same community they live.

Still, as Beth approached eligibility for retirement this year, she and Jerry had no trouble decidng they would step down at the same time.

“We really hadn’t been talking about it,” she said. “But then Jerry has his time in and now I have my 28 years, so we said let’s do it.”

Unlike many who use leave time to finish out the year, Jerry and Beth actually had to work on their last day of employment on Tuesday. Beth had to be at the office for inventory, she said. And the school bus shops are hopping in the summer providing service and repairs to the school buses.

Informal office parties were held for the Duboses, but there’s been little fanfare to mark their retirements. And that’s the way they like it. However, they have decided to honor their community by “throwing” a big party to honor the people who “have been so good to them.”

“We wanted to do something for this community,” Beth said. “Everybody has been so good to us.”

A gospel singing for the people of Lee County will be held at 7 p.m. on July 11 — a Saturday night — at the Opera House on Main Street. There’s no admission fee, and a love offering will not be made.

“It’s free,” Beth said. “We won’t even be passing the hat. We want everybody to come out and have a big time.”

Headlining the gospel concert will be the Praisemen of Sumter. The lineup also includes Penny Baker of Camden, Don Welch and Beth Dubose herself.

Then it’s on to enjoy their days of “leisure.”

“We’ll be heading to Florida pretty soon to see family and to visit the beach,” Jerry said.

Since the Duboses are typically always on the “same page,” it is not surprising they give the same answer when asked what they will miss about working.

“I’ll miss the people,” said Beth. “My fellow workers and the public.”

“I will miss the people I work with,” Jerry said. “There’s good people here. I don’t think I’ve had a cross word with anyone here.”

And their fellow workers will miss them.

“She’s a wonderful boss,” said Susan Gardner, who’s worked with Beth for 11 years. “She’s a very easy person to get along with.”

Lee County School Bus Shop Supervisor Dennis Roberts said he’s worked with Jerry for 15 years.

“Oh, he’s going to be missed,” Roberts said. “And there’s so much to say, but you know, he is the world’s biggest pack rat. And that’s been good for us. He never throws anything away. And when we’re trying to repair a bus and we need an old part or something, we know that Jerry will be able to go through his rat pack stuff and find it.”

The Duboses plan to continue living on Lee State Park Road, where they have had a home for more than 30 years.



Contact Staff Writer Randy Burns at rburns@theitem.com or (803) 491-4533.