After 16 years of service, Maria Torres retires from Village of Freeport

After more than 16 years of keeping village spaces clean, safe and running smoothly, Maria Torres officially retired from her job with the Village of Freeport on Jan. 3.

Her final day marked the end of a career defined by long hours, quiet dedication and a willingness to do whatever was needed, in every season and in nearly every corner of the village.

Torres reached her 16-year milestone with the village in September, but continued working several additional months before stepping away. She began her tenure with eight months in the recreation department before spending the remainder of her career with the Department of Public Works, where she handled cleaning and maintenance inside and outside village buildings.

At 71 years old, Torres said the physical demands of the job had begun to take a toll, especially the afternoon and nighttime hours. Her typical work a spanned across village offices, parks and public facilities.

“I work afternoons, I do everything: Park offices, yard, garage, water department, Village Hall. I’m never in one place,” she said. “I have a lot of friends here because I am everywhere. I do everything. Hot or cold, that is the job. Sometimes it is not easy. I thank God that he lets me do it.”

Torres worked Tuesday through Saturday and was often responsible for closing parks at night — a task that could be challenging, especially on weekends.

“People going to party, they don’t want to leave it from the park,” she said

Before joining the village workforce, Torres had already spent decades working in Freeport. She came to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 1979 and worked for about 15 years in a factory, followed by another long stretch working in a deli her family owned.

“In the deli I (did) everything,” she said. “I’m the one in charge for everything, shopping, selling, deli, lotto, everything, bank problems, bill problems.”

Those early jobs helped prepare her for village work, especially when it came to dealing with people.

“You need to support other people and other kinds of people coming into you, someone good, someone not good, someone just come and bring you trouble,” she said.

Torres raised three children with her husband while working full time, without government assistance.

“I have three children,” she said. “I taught myself English.”

Learning the language was a necessity, she explained, especially once her children were born.

“When I came here, I would just memorize things to teach myself English,” she said. “My children were born here and I needed to talk to doctors and other people, so I needed to learn.”

Despite never attending formal English classes, Torres said she takes pride in what she accomplished.

“Maybe it is not as good as it could be, but I am proud that I taught myself,” she said.

Reflecting on her life in the United States, Torres said work and opportunity defined her experience.

“What is my favorite things about living in America: that I was able to have a job,” she said. “Here, I found a good job so I could grow my family, be able to educate my children. I am happy to be able to do that here.”

Village officials praised her dedication and work ethic.

“Maria Torres is a dedicated, enthusiastic individual who has been a great asset to the village of Freeport,” Mayor Robert Kennedy said. “She took great pride in her work and is well-liked by her fellow workers. She will be missed, but we wish her well, and hope she will check back in to let us know how retirement life is going.”

Rob Fisenne, superintendent of the Department of Public Works, echoed that sentiment.

“Maria was a great employee, she always had a great smile when you met her,” Fisenne said. “She will be missed by all of us here. We all wish her well.”

“Now that I am retired, I hope to go back soon to get a little warm weather,” Torres said. “If I were there now, I’d be wearing just a sweatshirt.”

After decades of steady, often unseen work, Torres said she leaves proud of what she gave to the village of Freeport through her years of service.

“I was always proud that I could do the best job I could,” she said.