What started as a summer time job working within the cafeteria at St. Joseph Hospital grew right into a profession that spanned practically 5 many years for Cliff Marble.
Marble, 65, has labored on the hospital now often known as PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Middle for the previous 49 years. That makes him the Vancouver hospital’s longest serving worker.
“My favorite thing is spending time with the patients, because where else can you meet so many people from so many different walks of life and just learn so much in the short time that I’m with them?” Marble mentioned. “I love this. I love the interaction with the patients, and I love what we do.”
On Tuesday, Marble commemorated his final day at PeaceHealth in type. Wearing a tuxedo adorned with a “49” pin, he welcomed previous and present co-workers, in addition to his household. They’d no scarcity of tales to share about Marble’s impression on the group.
To spherical out the retirement ceremony, Marble performed “When the Saints Go Marching In” on the harmonica for his spouse, Shelly King.
He greeted her outdoors with a single white rose — which symbolizes a brand new starting — earlier than they climbed right into a limo to move to dinner on the Vancouver waterfront.
“This isn’t what I do. This is who I am,” Marble mentioned. “So I will have to reinvent part of myself, because I put my heart, soul and everything into what I do every single time, because I just love what we do here.”
49-year profession
It was the summer time of 1976 when Marble, a Vancouver native, started working within the cafeteria at St. Joseph Hospital. He was simply 16 years previous. After his two-month summer time job was over, the hospital requested him if he needed to remain full-time. From there, Marble labored meals service and hospitality jobs all through the hospital till 1992. (At the moment, it was known as Southwest Washington Medical Middle.)
Then, he transferred to the surgical providers division and has labored as a perioperative transporter ever since.
“My first day in perioperative transport when I had my first patient, I knew it: This is for me. This is where God wants me to be,” Marble mentioned.
Marble’s job entailed safely transporting sufferers inside the hospital, particularly earlier than and after surgical procedures. He would help with shifting sufferers between varied areas and likewise transport tools, provides and lab samples.
All through his profession, Marble made an impression on nearly everybody whose paths he crossed, mentioned Scientific Nurse Educator Judy Martin, who labored with Marble for twenty-four years.
“He is a pillar of our mission and values. He really is,” Martin mentioned. “He was always uplifting. I don’t think there’s anyone who doesn’t know who Cliff is. He’s just a bright light of the hospital.”
Staff like Marble contribute significantly to office tradition, Senior Advertising Director Debra Carnes mentioned.
“It takes a special person to devote nearly 50 years of their life to one employer, and Cliff Marble exemplified what it means to be a caregiver with his decades-long commitment,” Carnes mentioned. “He remained engaged, exhibited passion for his job, and demonstrated that every day to both his colleagues and the patients he interacted with. He was committed to providing the best care for our community, a community that he has deep roots in and is invested in caring for families, friends and neighbors.”
As Marble transitions into retirement, he mentioned he’s trying ahead to touring, spending time along with his spouse and having fun with “unlimited paid time off.”
However he’ll always remember the impression the hospital and its staff have had on him.
“I wanted to give these people, since they’ve given me so much, a lasting memory of me,” Marble mentioned. “I’m going to miss this place so much, because I have learned so much from all these people and just had so much fun along the way.”
