It was a celebration marking more than four decades of service to one organization.
But this was no ordinary employee and his anniversary comes at an extraordinary time in the 127-year history of the company that’s been the only employer Michael Tomaszewski has ever known.
Smiles mixed with tears in the crowded basement conference room where co-workers spoke Tomaszewski’s dedication to his job at Suffolk County National Bank in Riverhead over the past 44 years and reminisced about days gone by.
Tomaszewski, 64, will see his employment come to an end at any time, soon after the acquisition of the Riverhead-based bank by People’s United Bank is finalized. Many — perhaps most — of those at the party in his honor yesterday will also soon be unemployed. It was an emotion-filled event.
“I am giving myself last rites,” he quipped in his trademark, rapid-fire monotone.
Tomaszewski works in the mailroom at the bank’s Second Street headquarters. The best part of his job, he said, was delivering the interoffice mail and seeing all the other employees every day.
“I enjoy seeing the people,” he said. “And going up and down in the elevator,” he added.
“I will miss it,” he said simply before putting a forkful of cake in his mouth. The cake was chocolate, per Tomaszewski’s stated preference. He cut the first slice.
“He was planning to retire and has been planning his retirement party for a long time,” said Tomaszewski’s boss for the past 15 years, facilities manager Charles Anderson. “He made it easy on us,” he said, “because we knew exactly what he wanted. Chocolate cake, red balloons, a plaque with his picture on it,” Anderson added, “He’s been talking about it for a while.”
And he got what he wanted, as well as a couple of surprises Anderson cooked up, too: a Daytona 500 jacket, a money tree bearing about $300 worth of 10s and 20s, and a poster collage of photos of dozens of Tomaszewski’s coworkers past and present.
Tomaszewski loved the jacket. “I love NASCAR racing, going to Riverhead Raceway, getting french fries and vanilla milkshakes,” Tomaszewski said, smiling.
Bank president and CEO Howard Bluver spoke to Tomaszewski and the roomful of staff.
“I remember when I first got here, I noticed this guy walking from the front of the building to the Second Street branch, every day — at the exact time every day. You could set your clock. Then I noticed the same person would come out of the elevator in the executive offices every day at the exact same time every day,” Bluver said. “You could literally set your clock. I asked someone, ‘Who is this guy?’ and they told me and explained the whole situation.
“And all I can say is I’m sure in the last 44 years, there has not been anyone at this bank who’s done their job better or more efficiently or right than Michael,” he said.
“That’s right,” Tomaszewski said. “I have to be sure the mail gets picked up and delivered on time — and it certainly did.”
Former president and CEO Gordon Huszagh was also on hand for Tomaszewski’s party. Bluver, who replaced Huszagh in January 2012, asked his predecessor to the podium to speak.
“It’s an honor to be here,” Huszagh said to the applause of his former staff. “I hope I can do this without crying.”
“No crying,” Tomaszewski interrupted. “No crying.”
But Huszagh struggled. Besides being a longtime coworker, Huszagh is also Tomaszewski’s neighbor on Washington Avenue in Jamesport.
“As Michael said, we’re good close neighbers for 33 years as well as colleagues here,” Huszagh said. “My family’s grown up with him,” he said, choking back emotion.
Huszagh recalled going to the Jamesport Fire Department carnival with Tomaszewski and riding the ferris wheel.
“And you did a thing that wasn’t right,” Tomaszewski interrupted. “The man said no rocking and you rocked,” he said to laughter and applause.
“Yes, I rocked,” Huszagh said, laughing.
He recounted how technology kept forging changes in how the banking business is conducted and in Tomaszewski’s job. At some point, Huszagh said, Tomaszewski was responsible for making every “starter” checkbook for new accounts.
“And there was never an error,” Huszagh said.
“Michael, you have been a very dedicated and hard-working man,” the former bank president told him. “You’ve done a good job and we’re all proud to have worked with you and call you friend.”
Tomaszewski’s father Lewis, at 96, still drives his son to and from work each day. As he watched his son bask in the attention as man of the hour and chat with his colleagues during the reception in his honor, the elder Tomaszewski said he is grateful to Suffolk County National Bank for providing his son with gainful employment and a sense of independence.
Ray Mazgulski, a 40-year SCNB employee, who went on to serve as bank president for 12 years before his retirement, “was the only one willing to take a chance on Michael,” Tomaszewski said. “I went to about five other places looking for work for him,” he recalled. “I’ll always be grateful to Ray Mazgulski and the bank.”
Tomaszewski’s mother Ursula, 95, sat with her husband and took it all in. “One of the blessings of working here at the bank us everyone is so nice here,” she said.
She recalled how her son was once tasked with watching the locked door to the bank at closing time. “They told him not to let anyone in who he didn’t know.” Her son takes everything very literally. When a bank president, a new hire, came to the door, she said, “Michael didn’t know him. So he didn’t let him in.” Instead of landing in hot water, her son was commended for it, she said.
“This bank has been like Michael’s second family,” Tomaszewski’s sister Bonnie Kisiel said, “We’re so thankful he spent all these years at SCNB,” she said. “The people, the family atmosphere — it’s a local hometown bank at its best.”
RiverheadLOCAL photos by Denise Civiletti
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