Page 8-A?THE BRUNSWICK BEACON, Thursday, Dec?
Ralph Varnarr
BY RAHN ADAMS
After the first of the year, Ralph Varnam won't be
"dragging his heels" around the Brunswick County
Government Complex anymore.
Anyone who has seen the energetic building and
grounds employee scurrying around the complex over
the past 13 years, though, knows the heels of his shoes are
literally all he drags on the job. That's just the way he
walks.
The G5-year-old Varnamtown resident plans to retire
Jan. 1, but retirement doesn't mean his work shoes will
get a rest. "I'm not going to go home and sit down," Varnam
said. "I want to keep on working . .. My wife said
I'm going to run her nuts."
Varnam, a Brunswick County native, has been married
to the former Beatrice Lancaster for 41 years. They
have two grown children?Howard Varnam of Wilmington
and Karen Bridger of Long Beach?and three
giciiiucimuidl.
looking back on his 13 years with the county, Varnam
said he will miss doing "a little bit of everything" in
building maintenance and groundskeeping. "I work with
all the departments here," he said, "and I've always
tried to do my job to help keep the complex running."
Although his job has been "aggravating" on occasion?such
as the times he was called out of bed at night
or away from church on Sunday morning?Varnam said
he has enjoyed his work, especially landscaping and
other outdoor tasks. As far as any inconveniences were
concerned, he noted, "I always figured it was my job, and
that's what they hired me for was to do my job."
He said he lives by three rules: to say nothing if he
can't say something good about someone; to treat
everyone fairly; and to give a day's work for a day's pay.
"I don't believe in loafing," he added.
Varnam hasn't had the chance to do much loafing
over his working career, which spans five decades. His
father died when Ralph?the eighth of 14 children?was
oruy id years old. Alter leaving Shallotte High School
before graduation, he worked as a commercial fisherman,
then served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
As a seaman and radar operator on a troop transport
vessel, Varnam crossed the Atlantic Ocean 38 times between
1943 and 1946, traveling to Europe and North Africa.
He said his ship experienced "several close calls," such
as submarine attacks and enemy bombing in England.
For five years after the war, Varnam worked for U.S.
Department of Commerce in Wilmington, where lie
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RETIRING COUNTY EMPLOYEE Ralph Vaniam (let
plcx with Building and Grounds Supervisor R.C. Dixon.
helped maintain a reserve fleet of ships. Then he signed s:
on with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for five years, S]
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et Retirement Sic
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t) discusses an upcoming task at the county comaagging
rivers all along the North Carolina coast. He
pent the next 16 years working for various dredge comnviri
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7 think the grounds ought
to speak for themselves.
Ralph's been an excellent
worker."
?R.C. Dixon, Supervisor
Building and Grounds
parries from Georgia to Delaware?jobs he described as
the toughest and most dangerous work he has ever done.
In 197G, Varnam went to work for Brunswick County,
digging and clearing ditches in the county's drainage
department. Two years later when the complex was comnleted.
he accented his current iob in building and
grounds.
Throughout his 13 years with the county, Building
and Grounds Supervisor R.C. Dixon has been his boss. "I
think the grounds ought to speak for themselves," Dixon
remarked. "Ralph's been an excellent worker.
"He's faithful. You can't even get him to take his
vacation," the supervisor said, then added with a smile,
"What I'll miss is I won't hear him coming down the
sidewalk dragging his shoes."
When his full-time career ends next month, Varnam
intends to look for a part-time job, not just to keep
himself busy but also to bring in extra income. "I'm going
to have to work part-time to supplement my retirement,"
he said.
He added that he hopes to find a part-time job besides
commercial fishing since it is no longer very profitable.
"If I work in the river," he said, "I'm going to do it for
fun."
Varnam said he also will continue to be active at Dixon's
Chapel United Methodist Church, where he has been
a member for 30 years and now serves on the administrative
board.
Although he wouldn't be specific, Varnam said he is
thinking about running for public office in two years. He
did note, though, that he wouldn't consider running
against his older brother, Tracie, for mayor of Varnamtown.
And who knows? If Varnam was referring to an upcoming
county commissioners' race and if he were to be
successful, Dixon might not have to miss hearing the
retiree's footsteps at the county complex after all.
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