The postman rings one last time

Walter Malloy, a 35-year veteran of the Malverne Post Office, delivered mail along the route he has had for the past 33 years.

Rossana Weitekamp

Part of Malloy’s route is along Church Avenue, where he often runs into Malverne resident Sheldon Wagner. “He’s part of the route,” Malloy said of Sheldon.

Rossana Weitekamp

Read all about veteran Malverne postman, Walter Malloy, in this week's Herald.

Rossana Weitekamp

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In 2009, after Walter Malloy recovered from a heart attack and returned to his job delivering mail for the Malverne Post Office, he was greeted by a heartwarming surprise: a handmade book of get-well wishes and welcome-back notes from dozens of people he delivers mail to in the village.

“There was a girl on my route — I’ve known her since she was born — she got a list of all the streets on my route and went to each house and asked them to write a note to me,” said Malloy, a 35-year employee of the Malverne Post office who is retiring on Dec. 31. “That was really nice, you know?”

Malloy shouldn’t have been surprised. In his three and a half decades as a letter carrier in the village, he has managed to make many friends, many of whom waved hi, gave a smile or stopped to chat while he delivered the day’s mail on a cloudy, rainy day last week. “People here are like family to me,” said Malloy, who added that he knows more people in Malverne than he does in Elmont, his hometown. “It’s a really small village so it’s easy to make friends.” Malloy says he’s been invited to join neighbors’ parties, and has watched residents’ children grow up, build a life in their village, and then have children of their own. “Sometimes when the parents are here, sure enough, some of the children will stay and then the grandchildren will stay, too.”

What were some of the highlights of the job for Malloy? “It’s the people, really, who make the job interesting and fun,” said Malloy, who said he sometimes gets the opportunity to share in the good news of the mail he delivers to his customers. “When the Catholic high school acceptance letters come out, that’s the funniest because the mothers are often more excited than the kids,” said Malloy, who said he makes friends with the stay-at-home moms on his route. Malloy also delivers to the areas surrounding Our Lady of Lourdes School, and gets a big greeting from many of the children playing outside in the schoolyard when he passes with his pushcart.

“He’s just a lovely man who has become part of our lives,” said Malverne resident Tricia Cook. “He’s got the Irish wit, always has a smile, and really cares about people. He’s not just someone who drops off the mail.”