Sahuaro is saying goodbye to Charlie O’Malley, lead custodian and a smiling face throughout our hallways for the past 18 years.  Charlie became a Cougar in 2005 and he is absolutely so ready for his retirement, looking forward to spending time with family and visiting friends. He will be traveling to Florida and to New York to see family, but most of all for vacation for himself. He has not decided yet, but he is considering a move to Florida to be closer to loved ones. After working a lifetime, both in construction and here at Sahuaro, Charlie is ready to retire so he can go enjoy his life.

After visiting and traveling Charlie might take up a part-time job to occupy his time. However, he has been working consistently for his whole life since he was 16 and he is now 65 years old, so before working again he wants to take it easy and have a taste of retired life. Charlie has many favorite and fun school memories at Sahuaro, such as working with the girl’s basketball team and going to basketball games, and getting to watch students just be kids. The thing he will miss the most he says is, “Going to games was entertaining and  because I did it for so many years, I’ll miss it.” Charlie has had a great relationship with students throughout his years at Sahuaro so it is bittersweet.

Through his years at this school, he’s loved the camaraderie and fellowship that he has gained from all his co-workers. The environment at the school has always been appreciated no matter how different or widespread it got. I asked him if he had to choose which of the staff at Sahuaro would he miss the most and he said, “I will miss Eva (Lange) the most out of all the staff.” Ms. Lange chuckled over this, saying, “Charlie’s favorite person is whoever he is talking to at the moment – he’s a flirt and loves to make people feel good.  He’s been talking about retiring it seems like since I first met him almost twenty years ago, so I’m really happy for him that him. When I first moved into my classroom in 2003, there was a Cabbage Patch doll left in the room which I named Charlie.  Ironically, he could be Charlie’s doppelganger!”

Paula Saldutti, Office Manager, says, “Charlie is a great guy and a BIG help always!  I will miss him!”

In his years of working at Sahuaro, he’s never felt uneasy or uncomfortable and has never in his opinion had a bad boss. There is one single time where he has felt uneasy and that is every time he is in the upper 100 building he feels the presence of a ghost. He’s never seen it but he always caught doors somehow open and close on their own and lights flickering on and off. Back in 2015, Charlie shared his ghost stories with The Paper Cut.  He works the night shift and says that once a month he hears a door or two close when there is absolutely nobody else in the halls. “I’ll be out in the front, and I’ll hear steps like someone is walking from the 100 building to the 200 to the 300, and I’ll keep hearing someone going through those doors. And I’d run up really quick to look, but there was nobody there.” The elevator at Sahuaro is also the ghost’s favorite ride, “It hasn’t happened in like six months, but I would hear a zzzz ding, and all of a sudden the door would open up.”

He always brought humor and joy to the school.  He will surely be missed.