Amarillo’s longest-serving employee retires after 52 years

After more than half a century of service to the city she never expected to leave, Rosemary Robinson is heading into retirement — and her 15-year-old calico, Calli, may be the most surprised resident in Amarillo.

Robinson, 74, officially retired Wednesday, Nov. 12 as a Covert/Tactical Operations administrative specialist with the Amarillo Police Department. Her 52-year career is the longest in the City of Amarillo’s history, marking a level of continuity rarely seen in modern public service.

She began on Feb. 12, 1973, when Richard Nixon occupied the White House, typewriters and carbon paper filled city offices, and computerized records existed only in punch-card form. Robinson, then 21, wasn’t thinking about longevity.

“I was just trying to get a job,” she said. “I wanted to make it th