‘Strong as a bull’ longtime N.S. Highway Division worker honored for 30 years of service

NORTH SMITHFIELD – When the intersection of Iron Mine Hill and Greenville Roads was flooded last December after an overflowing swamp in the area failed to drain, Chris Creighton, a foreman with the town’s Highway Division, ran home to get a pair of his daughter’s swim goggles.

“He went under that freezing cold, absolutely disgusting water and found what was clogging the area and removed it,” said his wife, Kristy Creighton.

“Of course, when he told me he did this I said ‘are you insane? Why would you do that?'” Kristy said. “His answer was simply, ‘well, who else was going to do it?'”

It was such dedication to the job that made Creighton an irreplaceable asset to the department, according to Public Work Director Ray Pendergast, who reflected this week on decades working with the foreman following his retirement last week.

“He’s a hard working guy – strong as a bull and never shied away from any job we threw at him,” said Pendergast. “He’s one of those old-time hard working gentlemen.”

Creighton began working for the town in 1994 as a laborer/truck driver and had already moved up through the ranks to foreman by the time Pendergast was hired in 2003. An arborist, Creighton worked in conjunction with Stanley Tree to do all of the town’s pruning and cutting, and was also a “great plow driver,” according to Pendergast.

“When it came to snow storms, he had the biggest plow,” Pendergast said.

The father of two oversaw other town staff for decades, holding down the department’s #3 spot. Creighton worked his last day for the town in October but, perhaps not surprisingly, he had enough sick time in the bank to cover through his official last day last week.

“He never took time off for years,” said Pendergast.

“He has worked through injuries – you name it,” agreed Kristy, noting her husband even worked with an unknown bleeding ulcer and benign tumor while she was pregnant back in 2010. “Docs at Miriam were in disbelief as to how he even walked into the ER that night.”

“Chris is literally the hardest working man that I have ever met,” Kristy added. “My father used to say, ‘Kristy, I don’t know where you found this guy, but I’ve never seen anything like it…he is strong like bull.'”

Creighton’s friends and family gathered to celebrate the well-earned retirement on Saturday and co-workers presented a gift and plaque in thanks. And on Monday, the Town Council acknowledged the 30-year employee with a citation.

“We want to thank you and acknowledge your 30 years of service and your dedication to the town,” read Council President Kimberly Alves. “The entire council and administration takes pride in the effort and dedication that is behind such an accomplishment by one of its employees.”

Pendergast said Creighton still plans to help out with plowing part time, and Kristy said it’s just par for the course for her hard working husband.

“It wouldn’t matter if Chris worked 80 hours straight plowing snow during a blizzard – he would still be the guy that came home to shovel or play with the kids,” she said. “He is the best of the best, and Janna, Avery, and I are beyond blessed to have him.”