Asmar steps down after 34 years

By Owen Boss

GARDNER — Lifelong resident Anthony J. Asmar retired from his position as manager of the Social Security Office Friday where he served the government for more than 34 years, and ended a lengthy career spent providing quality public service to the community. Mayor Mark Hawke presented Mr. Asmar with a citation from the city of Gardner signed by the mayor and president of the City Council during his retirement celebration, an award Mr. Hawke said was very well-deserved. “We presented him with a citation commemorating the hard work he has done during his career,” said Mr. Hawke. “The majority of which was spent in Gardner.” Lisa Szymakowski, who has been working in the office for more than 20 years, said she had spent more time working with Mr. Asmar than other staff members and found her time under him to be an enjoyable experience. “ He has a friend that lives out in farm country and he’ll come in with pumpkins and butternut squash and acorn squash and everyone takes some and he’s always been good to our kids,” said Ms. Szymakowski. “He always wants to know how our kids are because he knows that its not just work. He knows that his employees do have outside lives.” Mr. Asmar said he had been working in social security since he graduated with a master’s degree from North Adams State College, and that it was through the commitment of his staff members that he found so much success during his career. “I’ve worked for social security for 34 years,” said Mr. Asmar. “ I started out as a service representative in Worcester and I bounced around to Leominster Fitchburg and Gardner, and I have been the manager of the Gardner office for 13 years. The big part of my function is to make sure that we provide the best public service possible, and people in the office and the staff here have done a great job over the last 13 years of doing that.” Although he is stepping down from his position at the social security office, Mr. Asmar said he plans to continue working on the Zoning Board now that he will have more time on his hands. “I just got on the board last year and one of the ideas behind my retirement was that I would have more time to devote to the Zoning Board,” said Mr. Asmar. “I plan on becoming more active in the community. This job has been very time consuming, there is a lot of responsibility when your running a federal installation, and now I just look forward to not having all of the responsibilities and the stress that goes with them.” Mr. Asmar’s plans for retirement include spending more time hunting and fishing at the Gardner Fish and Gun club, where he has been a member for more than 30 years. “I am an avid fisherman,” said Mr. Asmar. “I plan on spending a lot more time hunting and fishing and traveling too. I have some nice hunting trips coming up.” oboss@thegardnernews.com

Appeared on Page 1 on 8/30/2008 (Vol. 206 No. 206)