Putting a final stamp on a career that spanned 30 years, popular UPS driver Carlos Rivero delivered his final package on Key Biscayne and immediately retired to the comfy confines of Western Georgia, where he reflects on the relationships and memories developed in a village a small part of him will always consider home.

Last month, on a still winter night in the calm of the South Florida air, Rivero strategically made the final stop on a route he traveled 20 years in a row. But this time was different.

“In the morning, I was really emotional and that night I punched out at 10 at night,” he said, remembering his final day on the job moment by moment. “It felt good in a way and felt sad in another way. I had mixed emotions. It was an emotional week.

“My last delivery was at 1650 Ocean Drive,” Rivero continued, pausing between words. “I made that the last stop so I could go down Sunrise Drive one last time ever and also see my good friends Mark, Cindy and Logan [Dodds] to honor them for being so good to me.”

The fact that Rivero always took time to make a personal connection with the people along his route is what made him special to the people on the Key.

If the UPS slogan “What Can Brown Do for You?” was asked of residents and business owners who encountered the 53-yearold with a flair for customer service, the answers would be, “Carlos Rivero has done plenty.”

One of the many stops the newly retired UPS man made was to the Village police department, where Madelin Lopez said Rivero’s personality and work ethic made the difference.

“I have been here for more than 18 years, and it’s always been Carlos,” Lopez said. “He’s super nice. You call him and he’s there to help you. He’s always very nice, very pleasant, and even when it’s really hot and he’s sweating like crazy he is always pleasant. And he is a very hard worker, especially during Christmas. He always has a smile and is always so sweet and kind.”

Lopez said the department expressed appreciation for Rivero when Chief Charles Press took the time to acknowledge the efforts the driver has made over the years. “I know the Chief wrote a letter of accommodation for him and everything,” Lopez said.

Even though Rivero only recently retired, customers like Alex Muniz at Key Pharmacy were quick to shower his career with praise. “He is a great guy and always went out of this way to help everybody,” Muniz said, adding the pharmacy kept the UPS man busy for sure. “We got packages from him on a daily basis. We’ll miss him.”

Muniz even got to know Rivero outside of work; “I actually played against him in an adult softball league about 10 years ago; he was on the opposite team,” he said.

Janet Mungia works at the Island Shop, where she and her coworkers beamed when talking about their favorite UPS man. “He’s so nice, and we’re going to miss him,” Mungia said. “The whole group here will miss him like crazy. We love him and we know we will never have anybody like him again. He is a very special person.”

The appreciation people showed for Rivero runs wide throughout the Key with stories from residents like like Eric and Jane Stuart, who would leave bottles of Gatorade in their garage for Rivero to give him a bit of cool relief along his route.

“Ms. Miller on Greenwood would always give me something to drink too,” The UPS driver remembered, reminiscing about all the kindness he received. “People took care of me; I guess they appreciate the service.”

He said on his job he isn’t required to spend time with customers, but he enjoyed making the job more about relationships and people rather than just packages.

“I’ve seen kids grow up and become parents; I remember Mr. Burke, who was a big Boston Red Sox fan, he passed away about 10 years ago, and he’d see my truck and come out and talk about baseball. He’d sit on the porch and wait for me to come talk baseball every day. I remember little stuff like that,” he said.

Rivero’s journey to Key Biscayne began 53 years ago when he was born in Havana. His family moved to Miami in 1974, and he later attended Miami Springs High School, graduating in 1983.

“I went to the military after high school; into the Army,” Rivero said, looking back at how much he has accomplished over the years. “I was in the Screaming Eagles in the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. I was an engineer that blows things up.”

He and wife Haydee raised two boys, now ages 26 and 23, who they continue to guide through their early adult years, helping them navigate life knowing they have the support of their parents.

Rivero has always been a supportive and dedicated person.

While working on Key Biscayne, he made a daily commute from his home near ZooMiami to the Rickenbacker Causeway, watching the scenery change over the years along the way.

“I make two turns and I’m there,” he said, downplaying the difficulty of the drive. “But it got a lot harder over the years with all the traffic.

“The Key has changed a lot over the years, it was a snowbird town with mostly people from up north who came down here. It was quiet. I’ve seen a lot of buildings come up like the Ocean Club, The Ritz-Carlton, Oceana, so I’ve seen a lot of change.”

And change is what Rivero was looking for when he and his wife decided to move to Austell, Georgia. His wife moved there months ago, getting things prepared for the family relocation; while the dedicated UPS man completed his career, departing Florida only days before Christmas, officially starting another chapter in his life.

“I like it up here,” Rivero said about the new environment. “We like the openness of Georgia – it’s not like Miami, where everything is crammed together. We wanted a bit of a slower life. Miami is go-go-go-go, and I wanted to get a ranch style house and maybe a bit of land, and I can’t afford that in Miami.”

Rivero said he’ll take some time to rest and relax in his new environment, then start looking for work opportunities to keep him busy – he said he’s too young to do nothing.

He admits retiring and moving away from South Florida is still a bit surreal for him, but wants the people of Key Biscayne to rest assured he appreciated working on and becoming part of the Village – and he shall return. “After 30 years on the Key, wow…I want to say this decision wasn’t as easy as everybody thought. It’s harder on me than anybody can imagine; I’m leaving behind so many people I really care about and will truly miss.

“But I’ve got my parents and my bothers and nephews there, so I’ll be back in Miami and I’ll visit the Key for sure. That’s my second home.”