ESCANABA — A staple in the community is retiring after 40 years of service. Patty Fittante, the children’s librarian at the Escanaba library, will retire effective Saturday, Dec. 21. A special celebration was held for her Tuesday at the library recognizing her four decades of working with children.

Funny enough, forty years ago, Fittante was not planning to work in the library. She went to Northern Michigan University and studied to become a teacher.

She graduated from college, married and began her career as a teacher in Ishpeming. After four years of teaching, her family moved to Wisconsin, where they spent the next 10 years, and she became a stay-at-home mom to her three children. The Fittante family would return to the area after her husband, Tony, took a job with Northern Michigan Bank.

After her youngest made it to high school, she decided to return to work as she thought if she didn’t go back now, she would never.

She became a substitute teacher and did so for the next five years until her career changed forever.

“Someone told me that there was this opening at the library (and) that the children’s librarian was retiring and why didn’t I apply. And I kind of looked at, and I thought, I don’t know anything about libraries, but I thought, you know, you’d be working with children, you’d be educating them in a certain way, so I thought, you know, try it, and I did get the job,” Fittante said.

She added that at the time, she told herself that if she didn’t like it, she would try something else.

“Guess what? 40 years later, and I’m still here,” she joked.

She spoke about the memories she made, including a very special letter from a former first lady.

Former President George Bush was campaigning in Marquette, and Fittante was able to get an up-close look as her son, Marty, was working with former U.P. lawmaker Senator Tom Casperson at the time.

“They got me a standing, not a seat, but standing in the very front row. So I’m right at the rope, and when George came by to shake hands, I said to him, now his wife was a librarian,

So I said, you be sure to tell Laura that the children’s librarian in Escanaba said hello,” she explained.

She later wrote to Laura to ensure she received her message.

“That caused me later to write to Laura and say you know I know how husbands are; I sure hope you got my message,” she said.

Laura certainly got the message, as she returned a personal letter, even written on official White House stationery, dated Oct. 4, 2004.

“Dear Mrs. Fittante, thank you for your kind letter. President Bush and I are grateful for your words of support. I appreciate your sending the article about the President’s visit to Marquette. I look forward to reading it. Thank you for all you do as a librarian! The President joins me in sending admiration and best wishes,” the letter read.

This is among the many highlights of Fittante’s career, and she has hundreds of other interactions and moments she cherishes.

“I’ve had so many experiences, actually, you know what, I should have written them down,” she said.

Her passion for books and reading is attributed to her late father, who only made it to the eighth grade but worked his way up to Captain in the Navy.

“If he wasn’t, you know, doing something with the family, he was always, always reading and, I really admired his intelligence having just graduated from eighth grade, and to become so worldly, so, to speak and to work himself up to where he did,” she explained.

Fittante has hundreds of memories and moments at the library. Still, she said her favorite part was always interacting with the kids. She shared stories of children she would help in the library years ago who were now adults; many remember Fittante and the impact she had made on their lives. One example of this happened not too long ago to Fittante.

“You don’t realize that you impact kids in a personal way, and to think they would remember that as adults and come and see you and tell you that. Yeah, and that wasn’t too long ago. So, I thought, what a nice way to end working here,” she said.

She said kids don’t read as much as they used to, but she continues to encourage them.

“We just do what we can to promote reading and books and hoping kids will develop the habit and get hooked on a book,” she explained.

She added that kids will always be kids, the good and the bad, but they just need a chance.

“Kids are interesting; they’re just so interesting, and you know, if you give him half a chance, that’s all they need. And books will help do it, that’s for sure,” she said.

Her favorite books include mystery novels from authors like Nancy Drew, but she also enjoys reading works by Nicholas Sparks.

While Fittante is retiring from the library, she won’t be absent from the community.

“I would love to keep working with kids,” she said. “And if it includes books and reading, all the better.”

She said she just knew it was time for her to retire from the library, but she loved every minute of being there as she managed to stock up a year and three months of sick leave.

When she started at the library 40 years ago, she had no clue it would be her home for the next four decades.

“Absolutely never, and I’m just grateful that I had that good health to be here,” she said.

With her retirement approaching this weekend, Fittante has been flooded with letters, gifts and visits from the community.

Library Director Carolyn Stacey spoke about Fittante and what she means to the community.

“Mrs. Fittante has made it her life’s work to connect children with the joy of books and reading. She has inspired generations of readers with her signature optimism, kindness, and an abundant enthusiasm for stories,” Stacey said.

She added that Fittante is not only a librarian, but a mentor and a friend.

“Mrs. Fittante has encouraged countless young people over her 40 years of dedicated service, not just as a librarian, but as a mentor and a friend. This is her legacy to the library and to the community,” she said.

The Escanaba Public Library wanted to recognize Fittante for all her hard work and dedication by hosting a community open house yesterday. The community congratulated her and shared stories and memories of her forty years with the library.