Top stories of 2014: Retirement for some important members of Franklin County
Sylvia Massey celebrated her retirement from Tiffin Motorhomes this past Friday after 37 years of being with the company.
Massey retires
June 2014
Sylvia Massey spent her last day at Tiffin Motorhomes, Inc. on Friday, May 30.
After more than 37 years of heading things up in the office, retirement was going to be a new venture for her.
Massey said she had been with the company since its beginning in 1972 and has seen so many things change over those years.
“When I started working here we started out with peg boards and pen and paper—no computers—and we have just changed with the times,” Massey said.
Massey said when she first started with the company, it was still Sunliner and was over in Mississippi.
“I stayed with the company when it moved over to Red Bay,” Massey said.
“We started out with maybe 15 or 20 employees and have grown from there. We have grown together like a family—we are a family.”
Massey said Tiffin Motorhomes has been such a big part of her life and it would be hard for her to imagine not having worked for them.
“It keeps the community going,” Massey said.
“It touches so many lives around here and so many people from all of the surrounding communities come here. Practically every family in Red Bay has someone at Tiffin.
“My husband and I both have worked here and it has really just been our lives. It has been an important part of our lives.”
Besides a five-year break during which she was raising her son, Massey has spent the bulk of the past 42 years being a part of the family at Tiffin Motorhomes. She said that the atmosphere at the plant played a big part of her staying around.
Carter retires
Aug. 2014
After 31 years working for the Russellville Parks and Recreation Department, John Carter is retiring.
Carter started working for the Parks and Recreation as a part-time employee in 1983 and was hired full-time in 1986 by then director, Jackie Bradford.
“It’s a funny story how I got hired on,” Carter said.
“I used to go up there and play basketball all the time and for about two weeks I would park in the reserved parking spot. Bradford would come in there and tell me to move it and I would tell him I needed a job. He would tell me he didn’t have any jobs and that went on for about two weeks.”
Carter said he has seen a lot of mayors come through town during his time at the Parks and Recreation Department.
“I’ve been there for a while and I’ve seen a lot of folks in the town come and go,” Carter said.
Current Parks and Recreation Department Director, Chad Sears, is Carter’s nephew and said he hates to see him go.
“I worked with him for eight years,” Sears said.
“I worked with him full-time and part-time in the summers. They have been good times. Mr. Carter is a well-known man in the community and I know I’m going to miss him down there.”
Carter said he didn’t really want to retire, but after thinking about it, he knew it was just time to do it.
“I really did enjoy working down there and I really enjoyed working with all of the people,” Carter said.
“I have a lot of fond memories from my time there like watching my son play basketball and many more memories that it’s difficult to recall them all.”
Carter said he will miss his co-workers the most now that he’s retired.
“I’m going to miss all of the people that I worked with, especially Buddy Gray, but really just all of them,” Carter said.
Gober retires
Dec. 2014
EMA directory Roy Gober was presented a plaque by Franklin County Probate Judge Barry Moore and Wyman Pounders in appreciation for his assistance and guidance during his time with the EMA. Gober retired Nov. 2014.
