Beloved Olympia waitress finally calls it quits at 80

Beloved Olympia waitress finally calls it quits at 80

Tools

Story Published: Jul 3, 2008 at 5:33 PM PDT

Story Updated: Nov 20, 2008 at 10:39 PM PDT

By Keith Eldridge

Watch the story
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- It's the end of an era at one local cafe.

At a time when John F. Kennedy was president and a cup of coffee cost a nickel, Verna Parish poured her first cup at The Reef Cafe.

In the following 46 years, Parish brewed into an institution with quite the following.

"She's really genuine and sweet, and she always has a smile on," said customer Zimryah Barnes.

"I think it's really impressive. The restaurant industry is a hard place to work for that long," said customer Isabel Sweitzer.

Plenty has changed through the years, including tips, for one.

"Back when I first started if we got 25 cents, we really thought we did good," said Parish.

But one thing hasn't changed in all those years -- the customers' love of Parish. Asked what it was about her that has kept her going for 46 years, Parish said, "I like people."

After decades of service, Parish finally decided to call it quits. After all, she's 80 years old. Still, Parish said it was no easy decision.

"Because I love people. That's the hardest part of retiring because I come down here and this is family to me," she said. "If I have something to cry about, I've got shoulders to cry on and I listen to them."

Parish tried retiring once before at 65, but couldn't stand staying home. But she said this time, she's prepared to retire for good. Thursday was her last day.

So what will she do after she pours herself a cup of coffee in the morning? Parish says she'll dote on her grandchildren and play bingo.




Weather & Traffic

Icon
Current Temp 58.0 °F
Overcast
More Weather

Weather & Traffic

More Weather

On Demand

Resources and info you need to prepare for the switch to DTV.

Stay Connected

YouNews

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

Marketplace