As a single mother of four children, Dot Sharp would make frequent trips to the McDonald’s restaurant in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, in 1978. At the time, both of her daughters were employed there.
The individual, who is now 84 years old, provides the following statement to PEOPLE: “I used to pick them up and drop them off, and then I would go up late at night and pick them up or on the weekend and pick them up to take them home.” “And they told me, ‘You’re here so much,'” she said. You could easily get a job here, wouldn’t you say? In light of this, I submitted an application.
The last shift that Sharp worked there was on January 12, 45 years after she had first started working there.
Remarking on her retirement, she remarks, “I feel great.” But it is very unfortunate that I am going since I will no longer be able to interact with all of my wonderful clients and all of the wonderful individuals that I collaborate with. I will, however, make frequent trips to see them.
Prior to beginning her employment at McDonald’s, Sharp had worked in a number of restaurants and workplaces. She claims that it was simple for her to maintain a healthy work-life balance while still caring for her children.
The explanation that she gives is that she always began her work at four o’clock in the morning, and she finished it sometime between one and two o’clock in the afternoon. As a result, I was at home to take care of the children, prepare supper for them, and make certain that they had completed all of their assignments and homework. That being said, [McDonald’s] was an excellent place to work.
Sharp has worked for the fast food behemoth for over half a century, and throughout that time she has had a variety of positions. However, the position of drive-thru cashier continues to be the one that brings her the most happiness.
She reveals, “I loved the customers in their drive-thru,” and she says this. “In the past, they would sing to me. People would sing to me if they knew that I was the one who was speaking on the speaker. We had a wonderful day, and we had some very kind people that came in.
She has firsthand experience with a number of McDonald’s innovations, such as the Happy Meal in 1979, McCafe drinks in 2001, and even the McPizza. Additionally, she has fond memories of bingo games that were held every Tuesday morning at the Gibsonia location for senior citizens. Among the participants was Fran Rogel, a former player for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It was in the morning that he would walk through the door. “Everyone would stand up and clap, and they would say, ‘Hey, diddle diddle, Rogel up the middle,'” which she says. “And he would run around the store pretending that he was playing football, and he had us laughing the entire time he was there,” she said. “He was extremely entertaining.” Memories such as these are what kept me there, and the only thing that kept me there was pleasure.
When Sharp arrived for her final day of work on January 12, she was surprised with a surprise party that featured a cake, balloons, and flowers when she arrived. According to her, “It was a complete surprise because I really didn’t anticipate anything like that,” and she goes on to claim that she anticipated that she would just “clock out and go home.”
“It was incredible what they accomplished,” she continues.
Through her granddaughter, Dottie Sims, who has worked at McDonald’s since she was 15 years old, Sharp will continue to maintain her connections to the fast food chain.
The grandma, who is now 35 years old, is described by Sims as having “always been a work ethic.” “To tell you the truth, I have no recollection of her ever being late to work, and she was always well dressed and ironed. When I arrived at the office wearing a shirt that was wrinkled, I would get screamed at.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Meghan Sweeney, who is the owner and operator of the McDonald’s outlet in Gibsonia, had a similar sentiment on Sharp’s commitment.
“One of my favorite memories of her is she would come and yell up the ‘Move that line!’ or ‘Move that bus!’ because [Extreme Makeover: Home Edition] was one of the popular television shows,” according to her. In the event that we were not in the process of relocating the drive-through, she would whirl around and cry, “Move that bus!” It was imperative that you enjoy yourself.
Having “fun times” at work is seen by Sharp to be the source of her devotion. “It was happiness,” the 84-year-old woman adds, describing what kept her “coming back and coming back.”
According to Sharp, she is now planning to spend her retirement years with her family. The statement that she makes is, “I have a daughter who is retired and a son who is retired.” I believe that we are going to spend a little bit more time together, as well as see family members who we haven’t seen in a considerable amount of time, and we are going to get back together with the family.
