Published: September 02, 2008 12:45 am      

‘Rewarding job’

Retiring Marion bus driver will miss the kids

KELLY TOWN — Tim Boyce is retiring as a Marion County school bus driver.

“I’ve had a mild heart attack and five heart bypasses,” he said.

“I’ve driven school buses for a little over 36 years,” he said, “and only had two minor accidents where no one was injured.

“I’ll be 59,” he continued. “You have to have 32 years or you must be 55 or over. So I qualify both ways.”

“The kids always loved him,” said Marion County school bus supervisor Tim James.

“At end of the year, he would give them all candy. But he’s had some heart trouble and may be retiring,” James said.

“He’s done a good job, I’ve been here about 35 years, and he has a couple years on me.

“He drives activity runs, mid-day runs, and took kids on field trips. He drives for football and band trips. He’s just done a very good job for us,” James continued.

That’s why Tim Boyce is being selected as a Marion County “Everyday Hero.”

“It’s been rewarding,” Boyce said. “You deal with kids every day. And parents.”

Boyce said at Christmas time, he would dress up like Santa Claus and pass out Reese Cups to his passengers.

“I’ve had students on my bus — one who became a doctor in Morgantown and kids who have become nurses.

Boyce’s route was quite lengthy.

“I would start at Monongah each day, come through Idamay and South Farmington. And I would go to North Marion and unload and Mannington Middle and unload.

“Then I would come back and start picking up at Monongah Elementary and Monongah Middle.

“I would drive more than 100 miles a day,” he said.

After finishing up delivering kids to schools, he would go to Fairview and shuttle kids from Fairview Elementary to Fairview Middle for gym class. Then at 11 a.m., he would go to the Vo-Tech Center and pick up students and drop them off at East Fairmont High School.

“Then I would take students at East Fairmont and out to cosmetology class, located off Route 73, on this side of the bridge by Mon Power.

“Then I would make my afternoon run and bring the students home,” he said.

He remarked that during the winter months, he would leave North Marion at 5:30, 7:30 and 9:15 to take kids home from the various practices.

Any humorous experiences?

“A few years back, I was waiting for kids to get on the bus. But I was off the bus. My buddy was there and we were talking, and I didn’t see anyone get on the bus.

“I got back on the bus and yelled, but no one answered. So I decided to go with my buddy on his run.

“But I had two girls hiding in the back of the bus. Then they had to call their parents. Their parents told them to wait there until I got back.”

So these young ladies were late getting home on this day.

Boyce is married to Carolyn Kelly, daughter of the late Farmington High School football coach Ray Kelly. His step-son works for Mountaineer Resources and Industrial Contracting.

“I’m going to miss my kids,” he said.

And you know he means it.

E-mail John Veasey at jcveasey@timeswv.com.