Establishing friendly relationships with people that we come across every day in and outside of our workplace gives us something to look forward to and enriches our lives.
Such is the case with Will Partain, who retired as mail carrier for Diamond A and other Sonoma Valley neighborhoods on June 27, after more than 30 years — but the bond he created with the Diamond A residents is well beyond the norm.
After hearing that he was retiring, many of the residents were heartbroken, feeling that they were losing not just a good friend, but a beloved family member. Their sadness was mixed with a desire to honor Partain, so they organized a retirement party for him and his wife, Valerie Partain, who retired on the same day after serving as a mail carrier in Sebastopol for more than 30 years.
“I was surprised and honored that they did this and wanted my wife to share it with me,” Partain said.
The party, which took place on July 11 at the Diamond A Recreation Association facilities, was celebrated with food, heartfelt remembrances and plenty of laughs.
Residents also expressed their gratitude for Partain’s congenial, caring personality in interviews and correspondence with the Sonoma Index-Tribune, with some calling him a “family member.” One resident, Leo Merle, even wrote a poem in tribute to Partain (see sidebar) and others recalled his outgoing spirit.
John Quinn, who grew up in the Diamond A neighborhood — on the southeastern slope of Sonoma Mountain — moved back in 2015 and accidentally ran into Partain on his route as Quinn was coming out of the trees with a fishing pole.
“He stopped and asked me if there were fish down in that creek (Carriger Creek),” Quinn said. “I said that when I was kid growing up here, I used to catch them all the time! He asked me, ‘As a kid? You grew up here? What house? What’s your last name?’ Once I said my name, the cat was out of the bag.
“Will said, ‘I knew your dad, and your mom is great,’ Quinn recalled. ‘I remember your brother and two sisters, too.’ We shared a few fishing stories and from that point on, we became friends.”
Quinn’s mother, Carmel Quinn, said that Partain is always a positive person.
“He never seemed to have a bad day, always had a smile on his face and was happy to talk about anything,” she said.
Partain also provided comfort to residents during difficult times.
“When my husband passed away, Will made a point to come down to the house to let me know how sorry he was and tell me if there was anything he could do to help me, he would be there,” Carmel said.
Diamond A resident Wayne Schake said that Partain was a “carbon copy” of Larry Hunter, a longtime mail carrier for the neighborhood.
“Both took their job seriously and always did things above and beyond that routine of mail delivery,” he said. “They knew many people by name and offered personalized service to everyone. They always had a wave or greeting while on their rounds.”
Schake said he heard stories about Partain delivering important mail after work hours.
“Will approached his job not as a tedious obligation but as a means of spreading happiness and cordiality to everyone he saw,” he said. “Everybody looked forward to mail delivery.”
Partain grew up in Petaluma; he moved with his family to Santa Rosa when he was 6 years old and has lived there ever since.
He initially worked in the plumbing and drain cleaning business for many years and had a couple other physically challenging jobs.
“They broke my body down,” he said. “After a shoulder operation and having a back that was in bad shape, I knew I had to do something that I could do for the rest of my life.”
Valerie was a part-time worker at a post office in Santa Rosa and was studying for the civil service test to be a mail carrier, so he decided to do the same.
“I never really planned on being a mailman, but I’m glad I did,” he said. “I worked with a lot of great carriers at the Sonoma post office and have had the privilege of getting to know them. I enjoyed my customers very much and consider a great many as good friends.”
Partain said that while serving the Diamond A community, he has become like an extended family member as he and his customers have shared so much of their lives.
“I have seen babies born and then graduate from high school,” he said. “I have seen my customers get married and have seen them get divorced. I have seen them celebrate 50 or 60 years of marriage. Unfortunately, I have also seen couples who have had their spouses pass on, and seen the hurt, sorrow and loneliness that comes with such life events.”
His importance to one family in the Diamond A neighborhood became evident during the Sonoma Valley wildfires in 2017. Mail carriers were not allowed to go into Sonoma for four or five days, so they sorted mail at the Casa Grande Annex Post Office in Petaluma.
“When we were finally allowed to deliver mail, one of the families saw me coming up the mountain,” Partain said. “The daughter made them stop what they were doing and ran straight up to me and gave me the biggest, longest hug I had in a while. I guess seeing the mailman is kind of symbolic of some sort of normalcy.
“Probably most of all, our customers count on everyday things, such as good service. A wave and a smile go a long way, and being a good listener is one of a carrier’s greatest assets.”
Partain said that in retirement, he and his wife will miss the many people they became close to on their routes.
“Thirty years is a good run and carrying mail isn’t exactly easy on your body, so we thought we should retire while we are still fairly healthy so we can enjoy the rest of our lives together,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll miss the work, but we will both miss the relationships we have made over the many years with our co-workers and customers.”
They have relocated to Siskiyou County in Northern California, but plan to visit Sonoma County often because their children and grandchildren live there.
In retrospect, Partain said that he never planned to be a mail carrier.
“I always prayed that God would help me be the best husband and father I could be,” he said. “Even though I never planned on being a mailman, I also prayed that God would help me be the best mailman I could be. I was not necessarily the best, but I was the best that I could be.”
Reach the reporter, Dan Johnson, at [email protected].
