Bigfork Middle School’s cafeteria was packed last Wednesday with over 60 staff members and friends of Bigfork Schools maintenance director Gordon Durham. Durham announced his retirement after 22 years of repairing and maintaining district facilities.

“I was thinking, it is mixed emotions, but I know it is time to do this,” Durham said. “I got things I want to do with the next phase in my life. I was thinking, a lot of things I was doing for the last time.”

Durham and his wife, Penny, moved to Bigfork from Iowa in 1978. Prior to beginning work at Bigfork Schools he worked construction and wanted to make a career move that allowed him to stay home.

“I had a chance to work with a lot of good people,” Durham said. “I think we have accomplished quite a bit here, the buildings were run down and we spent a lot of money bringing them back up.”

Some of the more recent upgrades Durham did to the schools include upgrading the high school’s heating system last summer and installing new water heaters in the tank room. The new heating system allows the teachers to have more control of their classroom’s temperature and isn’t as loud as their old heater. The new water heaters take up less room and allow the athletic department to store equipment nearby with the saved space.

Bigfork High School track and cross-country coach Sue Loeffler attested to Durham’s impact on the schools. During her 39 years with the district she worked with Durham on several occasions and said he was always dependable.

“He would bend over backwards to help you,” Loeffler said. “And he is a very caring individual as well, he has a heart of gold.”

Durham’s skills with building maintenance and construction extend beyond the Bigfork school campus. For years Durham and his wife have done mission work through construction on reservations in eastern Montana.

Now that he’s retired they are going to spend more time doing it and plan on taking a few weeks off to build a church on the Cheyenne reservation.

While preparing for his retirement and upcoming trip, he’s spent the year training two people to replace him after his last day on Dec. 28.

“I think it’s ironic you are thanking us when we should be thanking you,” board member Mike Roessmann said to Durham during the meeting. “The fact there are two people replacing you instead of one says a lot.”