| Crimmins made a career out of helping others
By Pat Healy Anne Crimmins made a 43-year career out of helping other people as the head clerk of recreation for the town of Watertown, so when several of the town’s most important figures got together to honor her at her retirement reception last week, she felt a little out of place. “I was in complete shock,” said the 83-year old Crimmins. “Normally there’s just coffee and cake. To have people get up there and speak so well of me, I was like a statue.” She was like a statue because of nervousness, but there might as well have been a statue of her with all the honors bestowed upon her. Councilor Marilyn Devaney made presentations from the Governor, Council President Clyde Younger declared April 4th Anne Crimmins Day in Watertown, and her boss for 30 years Tom Sullivan, director of recreation for the town of Watertown, presented her with a plaque recognizing dedication and loyalty to the citizens of Watertown and the Watertown Recreation Department. “I’ve always done for other people and it was hard for me to have people doing things for me,” said Crimmins. Sullivan will attest to the fact that she certainly has done a lot for others. “Anne has been the ultimate public servant, always looking to do the best for anyone that came in,” he said. “She would always go the extra mile to try to help them with whatever they were looking for, whether it was suggesting a place for a picnic or just making people feel welcome.” Surprise guests at the reception included two of her three daughters, former Council President Jack Zollo, former Selectman Phil Pane, former Superintendent Daniel O’Connor, and the Chiefs of the Police and the Fire Departments. Crimmins said she was so surprised because she didn’t know she had made such an impression on her co-workers. “I mostly worked alone, so it wasn’t like I was rubbing elbows with anybody, but I liked the people I worked with,” she said. She took the job shortly after her husband Dan was told by doctors that he couldn’t work anymore because of his weak heart. Her husband lived for about 30 years with his weak heart and Anne says the doctors told her he was able to live so long because she was taking care of the work in the family. “I’ve worked almost my whole life and I’ve enjoyed working,” she said. At least for now though, the only work Crimmins plans on doing is working on relaxing and finishing a few domestic projects. She’s visiting another of her three daughters in Spring Hill, Florida, and also visiting family in Omaha. When she returns, she says there are a few rooms that need painting in her house. After that who knows? “I might look for another job to keep me busy,” she said, “and if they ever want me to fill in [at the Recreation Department] when somebody’s on vacation I’d do it gladly.” |
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