HONOLULU (KHON2) — Sixty is a milestone that some people consider retirement but after 60 years one City and County of Honolulu worker isn’t interested in hanging it up. Not just 60 years old, we’re talking 60 years of working for the City.
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After graduating from Farrington High School Class of 1962, Howard Okamura began working fo the City and County of Honolulu in 1964.
“That time in the 60’s the pay was only about 100 something or 200 something, and then I saw in the newspaper, ‘Oh I majored in accounting’ and this was only a clerk typist. ‘$287.50, oh!’” said Okamura. “I was thinking ‘I’m rich now I got something big!’ At that time, $287 was big money.”
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The money, jobs and clothes have changed. Before, Okamura used to come in dress pants. Now he wears jeans and an Aloha shirt.
He began as a clerk before moving to weigh vehicles. His favorite memory was getting to weigh and take a Corvette for a ride in the 1960s.