Steve Garvey was 18 when he went to work for the Warwick School Department. That was 43 years ago, and while he has no specific plans, he figures it’s probably time to do something different. So, he’s going to get married.

The news about the marriage slipped out doing an interview Thursday at Winman Junior High School, where he has worked as a custodian for 26 of those 43 years. The new of marriage surprised some teachers who have known Garvey for years and gathered for a luncheon party in his honor – complete with a giant cake – in the school library. Many at the school love Garvey.

“He’s our go-to guy. He’s always got a smile,” said Ashley Gannon, who helped organize the event meant to be a surprise for Garvey. But it’s hard to keep secrets from Garvey when they have to do with Winman. He and the school are one.

He started working nights at the Warwick Area Career and Technical Center, which, at the time, was virtually a new building. He put in five years before he put in a one-year stint at Winman, five years in the school maintenance department and then as a bus driver. He drove buses for another five years before landing as a custodian at Norwood Elementary School. It was after Norwood that he found Winman.

“I liked it here and I never left,” he said.

The job has its routines, but there can be the unexpected, too. Garvey put up with three “major floods” caused when pipes burst. There have been bomb scares and electrical problems. The school is staffed by a combination of six custodial and maintenance personnel under Garvey’s direction. For many years someone was on premises around the week. That’s no longer the case and the school is shut down for the weekend except for special events.

“We make sure when we walk out Friday that everything is in place,” he said.

It was at Winman that Garvey found Jodi Moniz, or perhaps it was the other way around. Regardless, they agree it was love at first sight. That was seven years ago and she still works as a teacher assistant during the academic year and as a school custodian during the summer. They plan to marry December 17, 2017. It’s a second marriage for both of them.

Garvey doesn’t have plans for his retirement other than marriage…yet.

“I love the job and the people,” he says of Winman, adding, “and I like to work hard, it’s just my nature.”

So, why leave?

“I want to work somewhere. I’m not good at sitting around,” he says. “I want to do something different.”