WELDON — Cleo Wilkins said he is looking forward to his upcoming retirement after having a career that took him from Halifax County to Washington, D.C., and back.

Jacqueline Hough | The Daily Herald After working at Halifax Community College (HCC) for six years, Cleo Wilkins, left, is looking forward to retiring for the second time. Here he shares some memories with HCC Public Information Officer Melanie Temple. Advertisement

“I think I have worked enough,” he said.

Wilkins, a custodian at Halifax Community College (HCC), is retiring for the second time after six years there, but worked for 30 years in Washington for the United States Senate.

“I started as labor, then was a chauffeur,” he said. “I went back to labor and ended up working in the Senate chamber.”

During his time there, he said he learned what the senators did and and knew the Capitol building well.

“I saw a lot of celebrities,” Wilkins said. “Whoever won the championship in basketball, baseball or any sport, they came through.”

Born in Halifax County, he said he has been working since he was a little boy.

“Whenever I came home from school, my daddy had something for me to do,” he said.

For him, his job at HCC is simple.

“All you have to do is work,” Wilkins said. “Nobody bothers you.”

His primary responsibilities include the 400 building (continuing education) and pulling trash from the 100 building (administration). Wilkins said he does the “whole nine yards” from stripping and waxing floors to vacuuming, mopping and cleaning.

His day starts at about 8 a.m. and goes to about 5 p.m.

“Sometimes I come in a little early to get ahead of the students coming in,” he said.

Ray Hester, maintenance supervisor at HCC and Wilkins’ boss, said he is a model employee.

“He is always on time and rarely takes time off,” Hester said. “Being as shorthanded as housekeeping is, Mr. Wilkins has stepped up and done more than his share to get things done.”

Hester admits Wilkins has been a great asset to not only him and the housekeeping department, but also HCC as a whole.

“He is well liked by everyone who comes in contact with him and he will be greatly missed by all of HCC,” Hester said. “We do want to wish him a great and happy retirement. He richly deserves it.”

Wilkins plans to spend his second retirement doing a lot of yard work with his wife.

“I’ll be at one end of the yard and she will be at the other end,” he said. “I enjoy yard work and I have planted just about every type of flower.”

He also plans to spend time with his two adult children and four grandsons.

In September, he will turn 63.

“I don’t want to leave (HCC), but sometimes you have to do what you have to do,” Wilkins said.