Roger Hofner was sitting under a shade tree, hoping the building crew that was working on the new YMCA would need another person when his wife Sonya came down to find him.

Friday, March 31, 2000

Roger Hofner was sitting under a shade tree, hoping the building crew that was working on the new YMCA would need another person when his wife Sonya came down to find him. The city of Austin needed someone to be a part-time laborer and wanted to interview him.

It was July 1964.

"I think my first job was down near where the swimming pool was, putting shoring in along the river down there," Hofner said. He leaned back against the desk, shaking his head. "My wages that first week were $65.60."

Once his name came up at the city, Hofner never waited under a tree or anywhere else for another employer.

Other jobs, yes. He went from laborer to flagman – he was the lucky one who got to stand out in the cold and hold the flag when the city street department was blowing the snow off the bridge – to truck driver, then to heavy equipment operator for quite awhile. Then he tried being a foreman in the street department for a few years, only to move back to the sewer department as its supervisor.

It’s been a total of 34 years now, and the second-most senior city employee is calling it quits today.

"He’s been a good leader and also a friend," Steve Dammen said. Dammen has been working with Hofner for years, and riding with him for the past two weeks, preparing to take over the reins of the department that keeps the city’s storm and sanitary sewers working and up to date.

"Steve knows this place like the back of his hand," Hofner said of his replacement.

To say that Hofner has the respect and affection of the six employees who he’s been supervising for the past several years would be redundant, especially around the end of the day, when they all start rolling in and shooting jokes at the plain-speaking supervisor with the friendly blue eyes.

"We all love him down here," city employee Mike Pratt said. "We’re gonna miss the hell out of him."

His boss also speaks highly of the multitalented supervisor.

"Roger can fix anything," City Engineer Jon Erichson said. "He can get on any piece of equipment and run anything. He has a very high mechanical aptitude; he’ll be missed."

Erichson, whether he knew it or not, went straight to the heart of Hofner’s long relationship with the city.

"I’ve been down here for many years," Hofner said. "I’ve seen a lot of changes. Some for the good, some probably not. I’ve worked for a lot of people and I’ve had the chance to meet many kinds of people. I’ve always enjoyed working here.

"The last few years – yes, probably since I’ve been a supervisor – haven’t been as much fun as it was. I love working with heavy equipment. I just enjoy it. I miss it."

Retirement won’t mean the end of work for Hofner. He plans to continue to farm his 240 acres of land near Dexter, keep working with his draft horses and maybe to do some work for a couple of local contractors this summer. He also figures to find some time to take Sonya up to Canada on the motorcycle. Maybe he’ll get to see a little more of his four kids, six grandchildren and three stepgrandchildren.

"Growing up I never knew anything but work," he said. "I wouldn’t know how to just kick back and go fishing."

But that’s another story …