MIDLAND, Texas — Leslie Hunt worked with the United States Postal Service for thirty-five years.
Twenty-three of those years he spent delivering mail on a route he called his own, always ending on North I Street.
But, after all these years of service, Hunt is saying goodbye to his longtime profession and the people he met with along the way, exchanging his life of delivery for a life of retirement with his wife.
It was at his final stop on North I Street that saw a large gathering of neighbors and students from the Hillander School gather with signs and chants to say goodbye.
Ryan Grimes helped organize the going away party, especially as her daughter Harper could be considered Hunt's number one fan.
“I think probably two weeks is when we all started putting it together and just in the last three days it has blown up," Grimes said. "People in the neighborhood have donated things, businesses have donated things and a lot of people plan to come out to support him.”
For Hunt, it was never about the letters or the packages that made the job rewarding.
It was always about the people.
"Definitely the people. just interacting with them on a daily basis, that’s what makes the day different every day," Hunt said. "Just the different people you run into and just seeing people and getting to know them get to know their lives.”
His wife was right there as he made his last stop at his last mailbox before he walked over to the sea of signs and chants.
Even though he knew there would be a little something happening, he could never have predicted such a large outpouring of support.
“I knew maybe something small, but as I found out in Midland nothing we do is small in Midland, so I had no idea this was happening,” Hunt said.
While crossing the finish line does come with a sense of accomplishment, Hunt can't help but feel thankful to everyone he has met.
"Just gratitude really for what this community has done for me, it's meant a lot," Hunt said. "It's just great to be a part of Midland, and be a part of this community."
Hunt now plans to spend his retirement with his wife and go to Oklahoma to spend more time with his two grandchildren.