Stamp of Approval: Avalon Salutes Beloved Mail Carrier Upon His Retirement
In 1965, middle-school student and fledgling stamp collector John Yoast from the Wildwood Villas dreamed of becoming a mailman. He didn’t know it then, but his vision for himself would come true.
It’s now 2023, and John Yoast – father of three, grandfather of four, a loving husband to wife, Debbie, of 44 years, a trusted professional and community fixture in the Borough of Avalon – is retiring after 40 years of service as a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier, all in Avalon.
Yoast recalls the opportunity with the Avalon Post Office came about while he was working at First Jersey Bank in Avalon from 1979 to ’83, first as head teller, then branch manager. One of Yoast’s regular customers was Marvin Wells, then the Avalon postmaster. Wells came to know of Yoast’s desire to become a mail carrier. He encouraged Yoast to apply to the post office and to take the required test.
Around 1982, Yoast applied to the post office and in August 1983 he received word that he had passed the test.
“I put two weeks’ notice in at the bank, and never gave it a second thought,” he says.
He spent an exemplary career not only making a significant contribution to the community, but also as a shining example to others in the profession. And today, his legacy continues in those who follow in his footsteps.
“I just hope I can do half the job he’s done for his customers,” says Jim Nickerson, a fellow Avalon mail carrier. “It’s going to be big, big shoes to fill to take care of his customers the way he did.”
Yoast, by nature humble and shy, was clearly touched and surprised April 25 when he was saluted at the post office with “A Toast to Yoast” retirement party, three days before his final day of delivering mail.
His wife saw tears welling up as Yoast entered the back mail room to find the gathering of friends, co-workers past and present, postal and borough officials, and appreciative residents.
One highlight was when Mayor Pagliughi presented Yoast with the flag of Avalon. He also was given a plaque from the clerks at the Cape May Court House Post Office, where the mail for Avalon and Stone Harbor is sorted.
Avalon Postmaster Melissa T. Lomax, currently on detail as a social media analyst for U.S. Postal Service Headquarters, organized the celebration along with fellow postal employees Bill Fenimore, Kyle Burton, and Jack Cline.
Says Lomax: “Just recognizing John spending his entire postal career serving one community, which is our beloved community of Avalon, that love is circled back to him through all of the residents and the businesses that John serves.”
Joe Garrison, who has been delivering mail in Avalon for 26 years, will miss the daily camaraderie he and Yoast shared.
“We start off our mornings with our beef sessions,” says Garrison. “We bounce off each other. Work stuff. He’s a pro. He’s very good at what he does. He takes it to heart. He loves his customers.”
Glen Milke, a retired Avalon mail carrier, says he and Yoast worked together during what they refer to as the “Gladiator Days,” back when the post office had piles of mail stacked floor to ceiling. In those days, the mail had to be sorted manually. Thanks to technology and innovation, today’s carriers receive their mail presorted: letters in trays, magazines in tubs.
Also, on hand for the event were Patrick and Jeanette Heaney, who for 37 years have shared a special relationship with Yoast. When they moved to Avalon in 1985, not only did Yoast help them decide where to hang the mailbox on their fence, but he assisted in securing it. Today, the Heaneys spend summers in Avalon, and the winter months in Florida. The Heaneys are customers of the Premium Forward Service offered by the post office and are appreciative of Yoast and his attention to detail in making sure they receive their mail in a timely fashion.
Two young mail carriers in Avalon, Jeff Montgomery and Matt Waldron, said they appreciated the time Yoast spent in helping them start their careers during the difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Avalon is part of John’s extended family, just like John’s part of their extended family,” says Lomax. “I mean, he’s been through birthdays and births and deaths, and businesses coming and going, and storms, and delivering mail in the summer season. So, delivering the mail in Avalon for John for the past 40 years has been his way of life. I can only imagine that it will be hard for him to realize it’s literally the last day that he’s making his rounds.”
In retirement, the Yoasts look forward to working in their garden, taking care of their koi pond, and spending time with their grandchildren … and John’s stamp collection. Among the most coveted are the United States Revenue Stamps, issued by the federal government to help pay for costs incurred by the Civil War. Yoast also has a full collection of Federal Duck Stamps, first issued in 1933.
Yoast’s last day delivering the mail was Friday, April 28. Despite inclement weather, a group of residents greeted him outside Ferguson Dechert Real Estate on Dune Drive to offer their appreciation.
“It poured rain in my face all day,” says Yoast, who adhered to the unofficial motto of the postal service to the very end:
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
Found on Facebook
The best mail carrier ever! - Susan Haag McLaughlin
Thank you, John. You were the best postman! - Lynda Pagliughi
Will never be another you! Thank you for your many kindnesses! - Lynn Schwartz
Best mailman ever. My dogs will sadly miss their daily treats. - Jennifer Meis Kurtz
Thank you, John!! You always go way beyond your duties. I appreciate all you’ve done. - Kathy Flannery
Congratulations! Gonna miss you saying, “It’s just the mail.” - Colleen Brown Osborn
We will miss the best mail carrier ever. - Diana Bjork
Congratulations John. My mom loved you so much. - Mary Stroker
Congratulations John! You served my parents from 83rd and us on 12th St. to 98th. - The McKiernans
You are the best. Richard and I will miss you. - Barbara Cogshall