Sho-Bans in the Spotlight: Bob Johnson hangs up Recreation keys after 30 years
Bob Johnson hands in his keys to Timbee Hall at his retirement lunch on September 17.
By LORI ANN EDMO
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL — Fort Hall Recreation maintenance engineer Bob Johnson retired September 16, after 30 years on the job.
Recreation staff hosted a party in his honor September 17 where people ate, visited, expressed appreciation about working with him and wished him the best.
Bob said it felt like it was time. He’s taken care of Timbee Hall for that long, took care of maintenance on the softball field and served somewhat of a counselor to the many kids that considered “the gym” their second home. He talked to many people about their sobriety, about their life. He gave points of view they don’t look at sometimes. He’d encourage them to look at their families, the people that love and cherish them.
Former Fort Hall Recreation manager Mike Sakelaris speaks at Bob Johnson’s
retirement lunch.
Former Recreation Manager Mike Sakelaris was present to share stories and tell “fake news” as Bob referred to it because Sak said Bob was going to go back to refereeing and go to every reservation to campaign for Trump, among other things. Everyone laughed or looked surprised as they knew otherwise.
Sak said Bob talked about retiring after 20 years in and he told him “Man that’s not enough.” Sak retired after 50 years of service. Bob quit refereeing after about 20 years because of a knee injury.
Johnson expressed appreciation to Sak for hiring him and teaching him about saving money – not squander it away, so that’s how he’s able to retire.
He noted he and Sak are the only two to retire from Recreation.
Sak told a story about how he walked into the gym one day and Bob was sitting in the middle of the floor, so he asked him what he was doing? Bob replied he’s just watching the floor dry. Everyone laughed.
Bob Johnson takes a photo with former Fort Hall Recreation coworkers throughout his career.
Bob said it’s important to care about people in your workforce in your community. “We need to keep doing that, you know because of the way things are going right now. We need to hold them together and be strong, support each other and support the people that lead us, our faith, that’s everything you guys have done for me.”
He said he’s going to miss Timbee Hall, but he can come in there and see the things he’s worked on such as signs, the backboards, etc.
“I’m going to give you a message for you to never lose your energy for your position in the job – remember when you hold a position it has its little quirks,” he continued. But the main thing he thought about was his coverages such as insurance, his health, his leave, sick leave, ceremonial leave, like those things. “I was fortunate to have what I have.”
Ann Lindroth shares happy memories at Bob’s retirement.
Marcia Hall thanked him for being the emcee at the Taking a Stand Against Elder Abuse for ten years and spoke about how the elders in attendance appreciated him. Others including Claudia Washakie and Ann Lindroth Jim talked about the memories they had when playing in leagues. Alberta Yazzie presented Bob with jar that had a sign on it “not my problem.”
Current Recreation Manager Juan Rodriguez said Bob knows everything about this place (Timbee Hall) and how he is appreciated.
Travis Martin, Tribal Health administrator, presented Bob with a Pendleton blanket on behalf of the Fort Hall Business Council as Rodriguez and Sakelaris wrapped it around him.
When asked who will step up when he’s gone? Bob said there’s a couple of young men Dayton Eldridge and Blade Waterhouse who he’s taught a lot “because there’s a lot to know about this old building.” He knew it so well he could tell when a certain door closed from the wind or whatever from hearing the sound. He knew how the concession door closed. He had a bunch of keys on his key ring and he knew what each one unlocked without them being marked.
Over the years, Bob said the population of the kids grew, one year there may be 200 and the next may be 300 – it fluctuated. “And then now sometimes you don’t even recognize some of the kids that come in here and then you don’t recognize some of the players that are playing in tournaments,” he continued. “So that kind of tells me, well, yeah, you’ve been here a while and if you don’t recognize some of these kids, it’s grown a lot.”
He will miss the camaraderie among the people and friends that he’s known for years as they’ve come to know him as part of the establishment. “And some of the elders that come from other reservations that play in our tournaments here that look forward to seeing me, and I look forward to seeing them and talking with them and things, which is a good thing, you know, it’s a good positive thing.”
Bob said he’s not going to miss cleaning toilets but over time he got used to it – learned how to keep the smell down. He’s also not going to miss dealing with conflicts such as with tournaments – entry fees or the legality of playing in a tournament. Besides doing maintenance he did help with it and had to do conflict training too.
A cake celebrating 30 years of service for Bob Johnson.
Something that was significant over the years was witnessing kids who were positive – going someplace kind of people when they were young then hear about them getting killed in an accident or getting caught up in drugs. “It’s real saddening because you knew the potential of that kid before all of this happened.”
After losing Eddy (Kniffin) and Sak leaving bothered him a bit but, “you know, I made it through, and I had to look at the big picture, saying, well, you only got a few years left. Stick it out and tough it out, and you can do it.”
The first year of retirement he intends to kick back and see how his finances level out because he’s going to take a cut in pay. But after a year if things are going good, he wants to do yards for elders and snow removal in the winter. “Because I go around the reservation at times and I see some of these folks have had real immaculate yards then they got old and they weren’t able to do it. And then maybe they don’t have family members to help them, or they live alone or they live with somebody that can’t do the job themselves. So that’s kind of what I looked at is to help elders like that,” Bob continued.
Regarding the future of Timbee Hall once the new building is in place, he would like to see it become a Boys and Girls Club – something for the kids.
