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Skinner says goodbye after 56 years at Brightwood

Date: 9/21/2009

By Kaitlyn Schroyer

Staff Intern



LONGMEADOW To anyone that stepped into the downstairs of Brightwood True Value Hardware on Williams Street, Richard Skinner was the guy to go to.

A man who started working at Brightwood back when he was 19-years-old and Brightwood was still located in Springfield, Skinner finally retired from the store at age 75.

"I really enjoyed working there and have fond memories of the customers," Skinner remarked about working at Brightwood.

He was a man you could simply say two or three words about what you needed and he would know. There was no one that didn't love going to Skinner and knowing that he would find them exactly what they needed.

After 56 years working in the store, Skinner has finally decided to retire and discover more of the world.

"I've traveled all over the world," Skinner said, "I spent five weeks in China, been all over Asia, a few weeks at an African safari, and been all over Europe. Now, I want to continue traveling and go to Canada and Mexico and South America."

Skinner saw three generations of customers going through the store. Many who had moved away would come back and kids who had worked for the store would also come back to visit Brightwood.

"It was a great place to work. There was never a time I did not enjoy coming to work," Skinner commented, "I'll really miss the customers. Lots of times the customers would come in and just joke with me. It was a pleasure working there."

Over 100 devoted customers came to wish Skinner goodbye at his retirement party.

"I just want to thank everyone that came. It was very nice," Skinner said.

Skinner will be greatly missed at the store and the hope is that he will come and visit in between his time of traveling the world.