Army Veteran and state retiree Leonard Rutledge has always had a heart for service. Leonard was a helicopter pilot with a 29-year military career and served in both Vietnam and the Gulf War. He transitioned to a career with the Missouri Department of Corrections in 1972 and had 34 years of state service when he retired in 2006. In September, we had the opportunity to visit with Leonard about his state service and hear his retirement story.

Q: Why did you choose a career with the State of Missouri after serving in the military?

A: At that time civilian jobs were hard to find, hard to get. I answered an ad in the paper, soap factory manager, required nine hours of chemistry. I had the chemistry background, and I interviewed, ironically, with someone who used to be on the school board where I went to high school. I took a look at the soap factory and the prison and decided that’s what I needed to do.

Q: What did you enjoy most about working for the state?

A: I’d have to say working with the people. I had a rather unique position. I worked in the section of prison industries, later referred to as Missouri Correctional Enterprises. We installed factories and services that would employ offenders, teach work ethics, and produce a product we could sell for a profit to reinvest in new operations. I had to interact with the correctional staff to hire and work with the offenders while meeting the security requirements of the institution.

Q: How have your MOSERS benefits affected your retirement years?

A: MOSERS benefits have enabled me to do all the things that I couldn’t do before, both financially and timewise. I’ve collected tractors; I’ve collected junk; I’ve collected cars. I’ve attended tractor shows; I showed tractors; I showed cars. I attended plow days and worked with the old junk, restoring it. That was kind of my passion at the time, and I think MOSERS enabled me the financial freedom to do that. I was able to do that until it became necessary for me to care for my wife. [MOSERS benefits] also enabled me to care for my wife at home.

Q: How do you spend your time in retirement?

A: I spend almost all my time taking care of my wife. We do have a place at the lake. I care for that; I’m the steward. We have a surf boat. Our daughter and son-in-law and three granddaughters come down from Kansas City. They take friends and neighbors out, and they surf all day. We get to visit and see them. So, the summertime is busy at the lake.

Q: What is the most important thing you have experienced in retirement?

A: If anything, I would have to say the comfort of being secure in my future. Basically, I don’t have to worry about taking care of my wife. I don’t have to worry about where my next meal’s coming from or where I’m going to sleep.

Q: Do you have any plans for the future or advice for other retirees that you would like to share?

A: I guess bottom line is, enjoy what you have. You have a job; some people don’t have a job. With the state, it can be fairly secure. Hang on for the long run; it goes quickly, and it pays dividends with benefits. A lot of jobs don’t offer that. The BackDROP enabled me to build an accessible house, which enabled me to keep my wife at home. That wasn’t a planned event, but it’s something that happened.

If you would like to participate in an upcoming retiree spotlight, please email amandah@mosers.org. We would love to feature your state service and retirement story!