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Swan enjoys retirement his way
Doug Flanagan/reporter@qvpr.com
Joe Swan can often be found in the produce department at Akins Harvest Foods.
When asked what his job title is at Akins Harvest Foods, Joe Swan hesitates for a few moments and can’t give a definitive answer.
“I guess I’m a jack-of-all-trades,” he said. “I do a little bit of everything. I work in produce, the deli, the bakery, grocery. I do it all except for the pizzas. I’m retired, so I do what I want to do now. I’ve got the seniority to do my own thing. I’ll come in and if there’s something special to be done, I’ll do it, and if not, I’ll find something to do.
“There’s always work to be done around a place like this.”
Swan certainly does have the seniority to be flexible. He’s worked on-and-off for the Akins family since 1963, when Arlis Akins, the store’s late, original owner, recruited him to work at the tender age of 13.
He’s been working at an Akins store ever since. He’s worked in the Quincy store for the past five years, but he’s also worked at stores in Moses Lake, Connell, Sunnyside, Spokane and Ontario, Ore., over the years.
“I moved around because I was asked to,” he said. “I probably would’ve preferred to stay in one place, but I did it for Arlis. Sometimes you do things for friends that you wouldn’t do for anybody else. Arlis was a friend first and a boss second. I quit and was fired a few times, but a couple of days later I would always come back.
“There would be a lot of things we didn’t agree on, but we always said that didn’t mean that we couldn’t be friends. If we disagreed about something, we’d hash it out over dinner later. He was a good guy. He was one of my best friends.”
It’s not surprising, then, that Swan has maintained relationships with John Akins, Arlis’ son and the current store owner, and John’s family, of which several members work at the store as well.
“I’ve known John since he was 4 years old. I remember when his kids were born,” Swan said. “It’s nice to work in a family environment. I enjoy it here. This is kind of my hobby. It used to be a job and now it’s a hobby, although I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or bad thing. I enjoy being around the customers. Also, the store tries to buy a lot of local food and produce. We do as much as we can to help the local economy.”
Over the years, Swan has worked at just about every job imaginable in a grocery store, but he might enjoy his current responsibilities the best.
“I like it because I don’t have to be a manager,” he said with a laugh. “I just work. Nobody yells at me.”
Swan was raised in Othello, Royal City and Quincy. He is a past governor of the Moose Lodge in Quincy and counts tile work as his main hobby.
“I’ve been doing that for 35, 40 years,” he said. “I do a lot of work for Billy and Kevin Weber. They’ve been good to me over the years. (Doing tile work) is something I’ve always liked to do.”
