WORKING -- KEVIN FORD

-- Story by Tariq Malik, photo by XXXX

HE IS

A communication’s conduit

ALL IN THE FAMILY

The U.S. Postal Service has had a long run in Ford’s family.

At 54, the Huntington Beach resident represents the third generation,

after his father and grandfather, of Ford letter carriers.

“The funny thing is, tradition has nothing to do with it,” said Ford,

a 28-year resident, of his career choice. “It was actually my postman,

delivering packages that I had mailed to myself after returning from

military service in 1972, who encouraged me to apply.”

Ford was drafted into the Army in 1969 and was stationed in Elevsis,

Greece for three years. He had mailed photographic lenses to his parent’s

home in Fountain Valley, the packages that led him to the post office

almost three decades ago.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

“This job keeps me outside, and that’s the biggest draw I think,” Ford

said.

Each morning, he spends three hours sorting the mail for more than 300

homes in Huntington Harbour, then loads it into a natural gas-powered

truck for delivery. The best part, he said, is loading the letters and

packages into his satchel and walking around the neighborhoods on his

route.

“It’s heavy load route, all residential and a lot of mail, but I’m an

outdoorsy person and I need to be active,” Ford said. “I get a half-hour

for lunch, but I usually spend those minutes with the people on my

route.”

So much so, he added, that after serving in all three city post

offices, and five years on his current route, he organizes mail by the

people that will receive it, not the address numbers on envelopes.

“This is, in a sense, like a large family,” Ford said. “I’ve learned

the names of these people, the names of their animals and children.”

RETIREMENT? NOT LIKELY!

Although Ford can technically retire his mail route and satchel come

December -- his 55th birthday -- that prospect holds no appeal.

“Once you get a route, it’s yours until you choose to leave it,” he

said. “I don’t think I want to do that.”

Always active, Ford keeps in shape by riding bicycles across Orange

County. He uses road and mountain bikes, though his favorite is a

modified version of the track cycle used in the Olympics. He believes

that he’s got what it takes to keep the lines of written communication

open for the residents on his route.

Still, tendinitis and back pain have cropped up throughout his time

with the postal service.

“I’d like to go another 10 years if I can,” he said, adding that one

city letter carrier retired in his 80s. “I think I’ll stick it out.”