Fifty Year Employee Likes to Stay Busy

9/14 sonny may Sonny May at work in UVMC Cafeteria

Sonny May said he’s always preferred staying busy to just sitting around.

That’s one of the reasons he continues to work in nutrition services at Upper Valley Medical Center (UVMC), a job he’s held for 50 years.

A native of Jamaica, May came to the Troy when he was 18, joining members of his family already living in the community.

He was hired for the staff at the former Stouder Memorial Hospital in 1964, working in the kitchen washing pots and pans. When Miami County hospital services were moved to the new Upper Valley Medical Center in 1998, he made the move to the larger cafeteria.

Just before 8 a.m. on a recent day, he clocked in, donned his apron over his red UVMC shirt and dark pants and headed to the kitchen area, where a cart of pots and pans awaited.

“I always liked working here. This place has been good to me,” May said, adding that interacting with co-workers is his favorite part of the job.

“I could quit if I wanted to, but don’t want to. I try to stay busy,” he said.

“Sonny is an amazing individual and a well-respected member of the UVMC workforce,” said Becky Rice, UVMC president and CEO. “We’re blessed to have had him as part of the hospital family for all these years. His strong work ethic, dedication and loyalty represent the heart and soul of our mission in serving our patients and our community.”

The secret to staying in one job for decades?

“You have to be reliable, be here on time,” Sonny said. “I don’t miss work.” The last time he missed work, he was nearby, May said, as a patient in the hospital upstairs.

Greeting other hospital workers who walked by as he talked in the cafeteria, May added, “A lot of people know me, but I don’t know them.”

When not at work, May spends time with his wife, Virginia. They have been married 41 years. He also likes taking walks to downtown Troy and relaxing.

He said he plans to work “as long as I am allowed to.” When that day comes, he’ll give his two-week notice before saying goodbye, May said with a smile.

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