Hockett parks bus after 41-year career

After 41 years of transporting students safely to and from school and home daily, the Franklin County School District’s Gloria M. Hockett — better known as Mrs. Maxine — turned in her bus keys for the last time on Thursday, May 26 during a reception in her honor at the middle school.

In presenting Hockett with a retirement plaque, FCSD Transportation Director Robert Smith said the long-time driver had meant a great deal to many people — especially the children she greeted daily — on her route through rural Franklin County.

“This is just a small gesture to say thank you to Maxine for her years of dedicated service to the district,” Smith said.

“It hard to find people who will be in these ranks for the better part of four decades, but that’s the kind of person she has been — loyal and conscientious.”

She started driving for the district on Aug. 1, 1980, and retired — or at least she thought she had — in 2011 before coming back three years later.

Beside driving, Hockett was a familiar face in the district’s Special Services Department where she served as a secretary for 33 and a half years before retiring.
“When I first retired, I was going to retire from the bus, but work part-time as the secretary,” she said.

“Well, one day Mr. Haygood (former transportation director) needed a sub, and he called me and asked (if I) would come back.”

She agreed and began driving a bus again full-time until she ended her tenure last week.

Hockett said her supervisors and peers had been a blessing in her life and were “angels” to her over the years through the love so freely shown her, the smiles and waves shared and multitudes of prayers for safe travels that were keenly felt.

“I am more grateful to each of you than words can express,” she said. “I want to thank each administrator and transportation director that I have been blessed to serve under.”

In all, Hockett personally thanked six superintendents of education and eight directors of transportation she had worked with since 1980 — people she described as being wonderful and kind in her time on the job.

“I was blessed to have you all in my life and my prayer is God will continue to bless all of you,” she went on to tell her peers in attendance at the celebration.

Still for Hockett, the best part of being a bus driver was getting to interact with generations of children placed in her charge.

“I enjoyed getting up knowing I’m going to meet those little faces, and when they get on the bus (I love) to see them light up when they see Mrs. Maxine,” she said.

“Over the years, I’ve had a lot of children to graduate, and they all come back to see me. If I meet them in the grocery store, even if I have forgotten their names, they haven’t forgotten me. That’s the greatest joy, knowing they remember me.”

Hockett added she wouldn’t even guess how many miles she drove through the years.

She and her husband, Jim Hockett Jr., have been married for close to 45 years.

They have three daughters — Veronica Hockett, Adrianne Hockett and Melissa Hockett Jenkins — along with three grandchildren.

Those at the gathering enjoyed samples of a retirement sheet cake and two lemon cakes especially made for the event, and Hockett also received a number of gifts and cards from her fellow drivers and district officials.

In addition during last week’s program, Smith presented the district’s 2021-2022 “Bus Driver of the Year” award to Melissa Martin.

Smith characterized Martin as a driver who has been extremely attentive to details behind the wheel, maintains discipline and the general upkeep of her bus.

“I would only call (Smith) about three times a week and I’m sorry I bothered you so much,” Martin said in accepting her plaque from the director and laughing.

“Seriously though, I am truly thankful to receive this and want to say how appreciative I am to get this … it really means a lot.”