Bob Guano, retiring after 48 years.

by Sue Ann Rybak

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stopped letter carrier Bob Guano from delivering the mail for 48 years.

Guano, now 71, started working for the U.S. Postal Service in 1968, after serving four years in the Marines.

“I got out of the service in 1967 and was looking for a full-time job,” he said. “One day, my letter carrier, Reginald “Reggie” Evans, asked me if I was working, and I said, 'No. I am not.' The next day there was an application in the mail for the post office, so I filled it out. I got the job. I was fortunate to be able to work with him for a couple of years. I worked in East Falls, where I lived at the time, for two years.”

When he first started working at the U.S. Postal Service, it cost just 8 cents to mail a letter. A lot has changed since then.

“When I first came to the post office in 1967, it was probably pretty much the same as it was in 1907,” said Guano, the senior letter carrier in Philadelphia (he has the most seniority in the city). “Things changed, but the actual casing (sorting) of the mail, that didn't change. Now, it's completely different. Now, everything has to be scanned, so you can track it on your computer. In the old days, there was no way of contacting you in an emergency. Someone had to come out and physically find you.

In 1970, he was transferred to the Chestnut Hill post office at 10 W. Gravers Lane, now the site of Nest.

“When I first came up here, postal workers were driving a three-wheeled vehicle called a Mailster. I never even seen one before then.”

Unfortunately, the lightweight quarter-ton trucks were prone to breakdowns. A few inches of snow or strong winds often caused the vehicle to become immobilized.

“After that, we got the quarter-ton jeeps,” Guano said. “And now, we have the LLVs – long life vehicles.”

“Another big change is the number of female letter carriers,” the Roxborough resident added. “Most of the carriers back then were all veterans of World War II and the Korean War. There were no women letter carriers then.

He said today 40 percent of the U.S. Postal Service workforce is female.

“I began the route I have now in 1976,” he said. “I remember because it was the Bicentennial.”

When the Local asked how Chestnut Hill has changed since the early 70s, he replied that there more car dealerships and gas stations, including Jones Oldsmobile, 8416 Germantown Ave., and Magarity Ford, now the site of the Fresh Market. He said in the 70s, there were more small businesses on the Avenue.

“There weren't as many big chain stores,” the grandfather of four said. “I think there were more middle-class families and skilled trades people. In the 80s and the early 90s, when the real estate values started going up, it began to change. In those days, you could buy a house on Ardleigh Street for $50,000 as opposed to $250,000.”

For the most part, Guano said, the people are the same.

“I think most people are very friendly,” he said. “They are happy to see you because you are in uniform and you represent the United States government. I do enjoy seeing the children playing in the yard on Saturdays. They will often stop and say, 'Hello Bob!’ They are always glad to see you. I love being outside. Many customers will say during really cold weather, 'It's a shame you have to come out.' I always say, 'There are 10 good days for one bad day.’ I enjoy walking and being able to talk to people. Over the years, I have seen children grow up, leave and get married – and some of them move back to Chestnut Hill. You develop life-long friendships with some of the customers.”

Guano recalled one of his most memorable experiences as a mailman.

“I helped collect letters during and after the Thanksgiving Day parade,” he said. “It was one of the neatest things I ever did. I couldn't believe how many people I knew there at the parade. It was a really enjoyable day. Just watching the children and their parents as Santa came by. Everybody was cheering me on. The adults and the kids put letters in the sack.”

And that's what Guano may miss the most once he officially delivers his last piece of mail on Dec. 31, 2016: the people whose lives he has impacted over the last 48 years, knowing the letters and the packages he delivered brought some joy or hope to the residents of Chestnut Hill and their families.

Sue Ann Rybak can be reached at 215-248-8804 or sueann@chestnuthilllocal.com