UPS likes to say its package delivery drivers are the "face" of the company. So in a sense, the face of UPS in Hawaii changed in a big way earlier this month when Robert "Bobby" Choy Sr. retired.
Choy was the last delivery driver from an original group hired as part of Atlanta-based UPS entering Hawaii in 1975, and he may have been as close to a perfect face as a company could have — exhibiting a brimming smile, a helpful nature, a youthful look, an even more youthful step and a stout work ethic.
Choy, who is 61 years old, retired Jan. 18, ending a 37-year career delivering UPS packages on Oahu.
Some customers along with co-workers regard him as a legend, in part for doing a physically demanding job for so many years and doing it exceptionally well.
"He is the best," said Myra Kaneko, office administrator for Buck Consultants. "He is so good."
Luther Williams, Choy’s supervisor, announced to a meeting of drivers on Choy’s last day that their most senior driver dedicated his life to the UPS family.
"Robert Choy, you did it the right way: You did it with respect, you did it with honor, you did it with integrity," Williams proclaimed.
With Choy’s retirement, the only person at UPS who has been with the company in Hawaii from the time it arrived by acquiring local firm Mercury Parcel Delivery is Thomas Kiyabu, who was hired a month after the Mercury acquisition and four months before Choy.
But Kiyabu went into management after about four years of delivering packages, making Choy the last driver from the original crew who represented that early face of UPS in Hawaii.
Kiyabu, who oversees UPS operations statewide, said this crew helped what was then still a relatively young business build itself up into the global delivery service it is today.
"They worked extremely hard to establish the legacy of who we are now," he said.
Williams also recognized Choy in that role, saying, "The only reason I’m standing here is because of what he did."
Thirty-seven years ago, Choy was 24 and working in the stockroom of the Pearlridge J.C. Penney store as assistant to the supervisor. But when a Mercury driver mentioned to Choy that UPS would be hiring more drivers, Choy applied for the job in part because the $5-an-hour pay was more than he made stocking clothes.
"It was quite a jump in pay," Choy recalled.
At the time, Choy didn’t envision his new job would lead to such a long career.
Looking back, he said landing the job was like winning the lottery.
Over the years, Choy witnessed major changes at UPS, such as the evolution from recording package delivery information on paper to bar-code scanning and real-time GPS location information. Driver pay is up to about $32 a hour. And the average number of packages delivered in Hawaii every day grew to 28,000 from 2,000.
One thing that didn’t change was the job’s physical aspect.
"People from the outside think the job is easy," Kiyabu said. "It’s a hard job."
Some packages can be heavier than Choy, who weighs 125 pounds. Workdays can be nine, 10 or 11 hours, with Choy delivering more than 200 packages in a day.
Choy credits his longevity on the job to keeping fit. Over the years, the married father of four has run 12 marathons and four Tinman triathlons. He still bikes between 12 and 20 miles on Sundays after swimming, and walk-runs on Saturdays.
The athletic conditioning helped Choy sustain about 25 years on a route in Kapalama where heavy industrial equipment was common.
For the last eight years, Choy’s route has been around Bishop Square downtown, a highly coveted route because of its high proportion of envelopes.
That route will go to the driver with the most seniority who wants it, which means some co-workers might benefit from Choy’s departure. However, the main expression from Choy’s fellow drivers on his last day was appreciation for the time working with someone who inspired them.
Milton Narahara, now the most senior UPS driver in Hawaii, said Choy helped him buy a home by offering advice on saving money. "It’s been a pleasure working with you," he told Choy.
George Monty, a 16-year driver who once sought Choy’s counsel after encountering knee pain on the job, recalled the veteran’s response. "He just kind of smiled," Monty said, "and gave me a look like ‘rookie.’" Then Choy advised against taking the first step out of the truck with the same foot all the time.
Williams, Choy’s supervisor, joked that Choy, who donates blood to the Blood Bank of Hawaii, once was refused because his blood was brown. "He bleeds brown," Williams said, referring to UPS, which is nicknamed Big Brown because of the color of its trucks and uniforms.
There is no accounting of how many packages Choy delivered over his career, but UPS officials estimate the tally is more than 1 million.
On Choy’s last day he delivered packages and received bids of farewell, some hugs and a few gifts.
"What am I going to do without you?" asked attorney Richard Lachmann.
Lance Hirokawa, a UPS business manager who joined the company seven months after Choy, said Choy exhibited a mix of physical endurance and friendly personality ideal for the job.
"He’s a very — how would I say? — a customer-oriented kind of person," Hirokawa said.
Choy said he elected to retire largely based on signs from his body, particularly his knees. He also said he has built up a big "honey-do" list over the last four decades.
Leaving UPS will allow Choy to spend more time on a studio and wedding photography business with his wife, Iona, and building an addition onto his Makakilo home. He also is close to earning a bachelor’s degree in human resources from Hawaii Pacific University.
"It was an honor and a privilege to work for United Parcel Service," Choy said.
