Just ‘do the work’

By John Veasey
Times West Virginian

FAIRVIEW May 18, 2009 01:59 am

— (Editor’s note: This is another in a continuing series on Everyday Heroes in Marion County.)
Don Pyles, if he were on a baseball team, would be known as a utility man. He fills all roles, as needed.
During his time with Hope Gas — 20 years, in fact — he was a utility person. He went out and did whatever needed done.
His title hasn’t changed. Now he liked to help older people and when he does, he tries to do whatever needs done.
He’s still a utility man.
The person who nominated Pyles for this honor says he is always seen everywhere in Fairview helping anyone in any way he can.
“He will help with gas lines, digging ditches, putting up town Christmas lights, taking you to the doctor. You name it, he will help you!” the woman said.
This “utility man” is the Times West Virginian’s “Everyday Hero” for the week.

Enjoys helping
“I really enjoy helping people,” Pyles said. “I worked for Hope Gas for 20 years. I retired there about six years ago.”
He enjoys talking about his romance.
“I was born and raised in Farmington, married a girl from Fairview and moved over there and never left,” he said.
He is aware that most older people need help.
“If people need help. I go help then. I help the elderly. The young people often are too lazy. If they don’t want to help, I’ll help. ... But I go for helping the elderly. I like to tear buildings down and to build businesses when we can. If we’re not careful, Fairview wil be like Grant Town. It will be a ghost town.
“We have part of a grocery store now ... and a part of a restaurant.”
He knows there are many people needing help.
“I trim trees, I help with the sidewalks. Anything that older people have that needs help, I help them,” he said.
Don and his wife Patricia have a son and daughter, Donnie and Christine.
He enjoys going to the Senior Center in Fairview “when I have some spare time. We do have a nice library also,” he said.

Misses older days
He misses the older days when people had time “to neighbor.”
“People don’t seem to have time to visit people any more. There’s just no time. I’m working most all the time. Only time I have to visit is when people stop by when I’m working.”
He says “if I’m not working here, I’m working somewhere else. If people say they’re bored, they don’t have time to look around.”
He also raised his own garden.
“When I was with the gas company, I was a utility person,” he said. “I kind of did whatever was needed. I never got by it. I guess I’m still a utility man. I’m not the bookworm. I was born and raised on the farm. I learned to do things for myself.
“If you have to hire things now, kids want $25 or $30 to mow a yard, and they don’t even want to trim it. I don’t worry about charging people. I just go and do the work.”
His wife recently cooked a dinner for the middle school teachers.
“This was appreciation week for the teachers,” he said.
Both Don and Patricia obviously enjoy doing things for others.
E-mail John Veasey at jcveasey@timeswv.com.

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