Ed. It didn’t occur to me to ask his last name. He has always been, Ed.

He started working for Les Schwab in 1980, but his profile still says, “Ed.”

Ed is one of the hardest working people in the Methow Valley. I say “one of” because I obviously don’t know everyone, but in my circles, he is the hardest working person I know in the valley.

He’s the manager of a Les Schwab franchise owned by Shwab-Ellison. He works six days a week, every day Les Schwab is open. He does everything. Paperwork, answering phones, dealing with anxious customers (me), and when he’s short-staffed, does the physical grunt work himself.

One evening long past six, I drove past his shop and saw him working on paperwork in his “corner office” across from the parked school buses.

Ed didn’t want an interview. He is affable once he gets to know you, but he’s all work and no play. At least none that I know about.

He mentioned that he used to run.

Passing by his shop last evening, I saw Ed casually talking to someone outside. That was a sight. Ed in the fresh air, talking to someone in a non-business atmosphere?

I pulled over.

I asked if he wouldn’t mind posing for a picture under his retirement sign.

“You know I didn’t want an article written,” he said.

“You’re not giving me much to write about you,” I responded.

It’s when I sat down to publish a Scene of the Day that I realized how much I had to say about Ed.

Ed is going to live in Phoenix with one child and spend time in Denver and Idaho with his two other children.

“It’s good you have three children,” I told him. “If you had more you would need to travel to four places.”

Ed chuckled.

Ed will be at Les Schwab until the end of the month.

Happy retirement, Ed!

Ed outside his shop in Twisp.

I am the founder and editor of Methow Valley Examiner, an online publication for locals, by locals. MVE explores stories beyond the headlines.

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