This L.A. mailman retired after 42 years. Hundreds showed up to his farewell party

There were 200 radical connected the backmost patio of Glassell Park’s Verdugo Bar, and John Ayala had a hug for each of them.

Wiping tears from his eyes arsenic helium dilatory made his mode done the intergenerational crowd, helium recognized astir everyone successful attendance — if not by name, past decidedly by address.

For 4 decades, the 61-year-old Ayala delivered message to their homes, and present helium was yet retiring, to the large astonishment of everyone, including himself. He’d been talking astir it for years — moving it into the galore conversations helium had each time with the friends he’d made on his message way successful the hills of Mount Washington, a tiny residential assemblage successful northeast Los Angeles.

The folks astatine the status enactment were gladsome that helium would yet get immoderate well-deserved downtime, but they were besides wistful. For them, Ayala’s departure represented the extremity of an epoch erstwhile message transportation came with a broadside of conversation.

“He talked with everyone,” said Jonathan Sample, a graphic decorator who grew up successful Mount Washington and present lives determination with 2 kids of his own. “He was a truly unifying presence.”

At a clip erstwhile conscionable 26% of Americans accidental they cognize their neighbors according to a caller Pew Research study, Ayala helped make a consciousness of assemblage successful Mount Washington, adjacent if it was lone done the shared acquisition of having an unexpectedly idiosyncratic narration with the section mailman with a gruff dependable and a gregarious disposition.

Over the years, Ayala would invitation radical from his way to the shows helium played with his metallic set Horns Up, and whether oregon not they liked the music, they‘d travel retired due to the fact that they liked him. He would often speech astir sports (especially the Dodgers and the Packers) and galore connected the elevation knew helium had 2 genu replacements — a effect of a occupation that required him to hop successful and retired of a motortruck each time — due to the fact that helium would stock updates connected his recovery.

And erstwhile helium started delivering reams of assemblage selling materials to families with precocious schoolhouse seniors, he’d often inquire wherever the soon-to-be postgraduate was headed.

Ayala, center, celebrates with friends astatine his status enactment astatine Glassell Park’s Verdugo Bar.

(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)

“He’s amazing. He knows my kids — my girl is 40 and my lad is 37 — and they emotion him,” said John Amour, a Mount Washington nonmigratory who has known Ayala since the ’90s. “They’ve grown up with him. He remembers their name. He says, ‘How is Brianna?’”

Because Ayala made regular visits to the homes connected his route, helium besides knew who was connected vacation, who was moving and who was having a aesculapian crisis.

A fewer years ago, helium was delivering message to a antheral whose woman had been successful the hospital. When Ayala asked “What’s up with Sandy?” the antheral shared that she had conscionable passed away.

“I was the archetypal 1 to spot him aft that and I conscionable had to hug him,” Ayala said. They inactive substance occasionally.

“If radical are sick, he’ll archer radical successful the neighborhood,” said Laura Lee, who has lived successful Mount Washington for 40 years. “If I commencement wondering astir idiosyncratic I haven’t seen successful a while, I’ll inquire him, conscionable to marque definite they’re OK.”

For Ayala, connecting radical with 1 different comes naturally.

“I’ll find retired idiosyncratic is simply a Red Sox instrumentality and I’ll archer them, you cognize your neighbour Neil up the thoroughfare is from Boston too. You guys should talk,” helium said.

Ayala, who grew up successful El Sereno and is joined with 2 sons, has heavy household roots successful the United States Postal Service. His mother, Yolanda, worked for the bureau for 39 years, arsenic did each of her 4 brothers and a sister-in-law. Ayala’s uncle was the archetypal Latino vice president of concern for the Postal Service successful the 1990s.

Ayala was an honors pupil astatine South Pasadena High School, but helium wasn’t funny successful college. Toward the extremity of his elder year, his ma saw a occupation opening astatine enactment and encouraged him to apply. He’s been moving for the Postal Service since 1984 — adjacent during the clip his metallic set Lace was selling retired the Whiskey a Go Go and the Roxy successful the mid ’80s.

Neighbors made a USPS-themed barroom for Ayala’s status party.

(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)

“I ever wanted to beryllium a stone star, but I astir apt wouldn’t beryllium live contiguous if we’d made it,” helium said.

He started delivering message successful Mount Washington successful 1987 and ne'er looked back. He loved the radical and taking a interruption by the Self-Realization Fellowship’s verdant office to work the newspaper. “It’s a vicinity I could ne'er afford,” helium said. “It’s similar a antithetic world.”

Also, helium said, “I ne'er had to bargain lemons. My customers ever gave maine lemons.”

The Postal Service changed his way erstwhile successful 2008, but a fewer years later, helium was capable to instrumentality to Mount Washington. “I couldn’t hold to get backmost up there,” helium said. “It was conscionable like, ohio man, I’m going to beryllium successful eden again.”

After 42 years of service, Ayala’s pension couldn’t get immoderate higher, truthful helium decided to discontinue astatine the extremity of 2025. He could person retired successful 2020, but arsenic helium wrote successful a Facebook station successful 2023, “I’m having excessively overmuch fun.”

On a rainy time successful December, Ayala maneuvered his motortruck 1 last clip done Mount Washington’s constrictive streets. Even arsenic helium emptied it of mail, it gradually filled up with gifts from his longtime customers — a vessel of vodka, a fewer bottles of wine, a six-pack of trade beer, homemade biscotti, a signed farewell poster, respective convey you cards and a elephantine foam food chapeau from 1 of the galore residents who knew helium was a Packers fan.

Graphic decorator Jonathan Sample made dozens of signs saying “Rock connected Mailman John” for neighbors who wanted to nonstop good wishes to Ayala connected his past day.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

And past determination were the signs, stuck connected stakes, posted connected telephone poles, taped to mailboxes each implicit the hill.

Good Luck John! We’ll Miss You!

Mailman John!! Thank you!!

Rock connected Mailman John! Enjoy Your Retirement. We Love You!

Not everyone who made signs and delivered gifts knew each other, but they each knew Ayala.

Even aft helium retired, Ayala was inactive bringing the radical of Mount Washington together. The farewell enactment astatine the Verdugo Bar was enactment unneurotic by a trio of neighbors who got to cognize each different due to the fact that they each wanted to beryllium progressive successful celebrating their beloved mailman. At the bar, residents who unrecorded connected the aforesaid thoroughfare yet got astir to introducing themselves.

“See that radical successful the corner?” said Penny Jones, an creator who helped signifier the party. “That’s the Glenalbyn contingent. They are conscionable getting to cognize each other.”

Also among the galore radical who had travel to privation Ayala a fond farewell? Alex Villasenor, the neighborhood’s UPS driver, wearing an Iron Maiden garment successful Ayala’s honor.

“I had to represent,” helium said. “We ever chat and clown astir and artifact each different and honk astatine each different connected the hill. He goes for the Raiders and I spell for the Packers. I’ll beryllium bittersweet not spot him.”

I was astatine the party, excessively — and not conscionable to study this story, but due to the fact that for the past 18 years, Ayala was my mailman. More than anyone other successful my beingness — adjacent my parents — helium religiously work my stories successful The Times, ever commenting erstwhile I had a portion connected the beforehand page.

“Great story, Deb!” he’d outcry from his motortruck aft putting immoderate existent property fliers successful my mailbox. It ever made my day.

Ayala has a hug for everyone astatine his party.

(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)

Like everyone else, I’m going to miss him.

A fewer months aft his retirement, I called Ayala to spot however he’s been doing. It’s been a hard adjustment.

“I conscionable miss everybody, “ helium said. “It’s hard. You mislaid a friend. One person. I mislaid similar 2,000 friends.”

Two 100 residents attended John Ayala’s status enactment aft 40 years with the USPS.

(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)

He said sometimes successful the mediate of the nighttime erstwhile he’s tossing and turning, helium imagines traveling thoroughfare by street, conscionable reasoning astir everyone connected his message route.

But helium is committed to staying successful touch. He inactive texts immoderate of his friends astir sports, and he’s readying to marque a travel up the elevation soon conscionable to locomotion astir and greet people.

Ayala whitethorn person stopped delivering the mail, but he’s not done delivering connection.