‘Time to go’

Ray Washington watched as a single-file line of Sam Houston Elementary students stacked their white, Styrofoam trays one on top of the other recently.

The 82-year-old Sam Houston custodian helped empty trays into a trash can and nodded in rhythm as each tray joined the stack.

Washington, a 22-year custodian at Sam Houston, enjoys working in the school's friendly environment with students, teachers and the three other members of the custodial crew.

And besides that, he's dedicated to his $1,600-a-month job, which entails duties like vacuuming classrooms at 5 a.m. or stocking toilet paper in the bathrooms.

In recent years, his duties seem to take more out of him, he said, noting it's still his responsibility.

"You get with a job and you stay with it," Washington said.

But as the school year ends, Washington plans to retire from the Ector County Independent School District.

"It's time to go," he said. "It's time to kind of relax."

Prior to working with ECISD, Washington had a brief stint as a construction worker and a 25-year custodial career with a now-defunct Odessa bank.

Washington said he plans to go fishing and spend time with family, especially his wife, LulaMae Washington, a retired Zavala Magnet Elementary teacher.

But, Washington won't retire alone.

His 57-year-old daughter, Patt Washington, a 35-year special education teacher with ECISD, also plans to say good-bye to the district this year.

However, it's just a coincidence, Patt Washington said, noting her father may have wanted to try and retire before she did.

She said she admires her father because he's a hard worker who's pushed himself his entire life to provide for his wife and seven children even though he didn't have a college degree.

"That's what I admire the most about him," she said. "He wanted to make sure we all had a better life than he did."

Archie Moore Jr., 42, said he enjoys working with a long-time friend like Ray Washington, whose wife was one of Moore's elementary teachers.

"We became that much closer since I've worked here," he said, noting he's known his colleague for 25 years and worked with him for 10 years.

Moore said he'll miss Washington's positive attitude and humor.

"I hate to see him go," he said.