CAMDEN — Even though Camden Post Office employee Donna Perry is a familiar face at Camden National Bank’s downtown branch, it took a ruse at the bank to get her to appear at her own surprise retirement party Tuesday afternoon.

After 31 years of Federal service with the United States Postal Service, Perry is retiring from her post this week. Her last day is Friday, Feb. 26, and she is officially retired effective Monday, Feb. 29. The bank, located next to the post office, hosted the Feb. 23 surprise, informal reception for Perry, and branch manager Jody Landrith explained why.

“We have been working with Donna for many years,” Landrith said. “She processes our mail and we have become good friends. She’s been acquainted with my entire teller line and my sales staff. She has been so patient with us as we bring her boxes, which have to go registered mail, which is a long process. She has always come to our community events and we’re really happy for her in her retirement. This is well warranted.”

Unaware the reception was being planned, someone, an accomplice, had to come up with a ruse to get her to come from the post office next door into the bank lobby.

Sandra Hall came up with a ladies night idea. She explained that she and Perry were long time friends.

“Every once in a while we get together and go out to dinner,” she said. “I called her a couple of weeks ago and suggested that tonight we go out. She even got dressed up and now she’s really glad she did. I opened the door and said I had to get some money and she said the ATM is over on the other side. I said that’s OK, I’m going in this way and she followed me. At the top of the stairs she knew what was going on. It was wonderful.”

Camden Postmaster Stephan P. Dalessandro presented Perry with a certificate from District Manager John Galusky, thanking her for her years of service.

Perry’s career began 31 years ago in Homer, Alaska, which is about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage on the Kenai Peninsula. She shared that story with the group at the reception, and her subsequent move to Camden.

“When I moved there in 1980, my dad said I should take a civil service exam because there were a lot of opportunities,” she said. “I had been working as a nurse and there were less nursing opportunities.”

Perry said it was five years before they enlarged the post office and hired people. She got interviewed and took a job as a clerk, but immediately got switched to a carrier, which she did for three years.

“I’m from Camden, I was born in Camden and raised in Rockport,” she said. “My dad died unexpectedly and my family was here and I came home and my cousin was a supervisor in Rockland. He asked me if I would transfer here and I said no. I went back to Alaska and they called me two more times and said believe it or not there’s another job here. The third time I took it as a sign and I said I’m going back.”

Perry said at that point, her children were “the perfect age to move” so they drove cross-country with a dog and she began work as a clerk in Rockland. But Perry said, someone had a major injury and she became a carrier again, but in Camden.

Ultimately, Perry has put in just shy of 25 years at the Camden post office.

“I’m sad and I’m happy,” she said. “I’m sad about missing all these people because they are like my family and friends and I love seeing them everyday. But I have other things I want to do. I love my grandchildren and want to help them. A little bit of travel and have a cup of coffee with my husband, which he will like.”

Judging from the crowd and the outpouring of affection, Perry will be missed.

She said she was truly surprised, and pleased that she still got to go to dinner afterward.