"The morning cup of coffee has an exhilaration about it which the cheering influence of the afternoon or evening cup of tea cannot be expected to reproduce." - Oliver Wendell Holmes |
A lotta cups-o-Joe delivered by no ordinary Joe
Like many Americans, Wayne Horsey starts his work day with coffee. Lots of it.
You’ll find him in McCready’s kitchen brewing five huge urns of java well before most of his colleagues arrive at 6 a.m.
By 7:30 a.m., Wayne has delivered coffee and breakfast trays to McCready Memorial Hospital patients and Tawes nursing home residents. At 6-feet 6-inches, Wayne easily pushes huge meal carts about.
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 Horsey dabbles in ceramics at home
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After a brief respite, Wayne retrieves the trays so dishes and silverware can get the 190-degree wash-and-rinse treatment. He and fellow porters dispose of trash, clean the kitchen and set up for lunch. Then, the whole meal delivery/dish room/cleanup routine starts all over again.
"I just like coming to work," he says.
During his 20 years as a porter, he's delivered an estimated 740,000 nourishing meals.
Sorry, Colonel Sanders. McCready’s fried chicken - also a top secret recipe - is his personal favorite
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Sometimes, after lunch, Wayne stocks kitchen shelves or pitches in assembling desserts for the dinner shift to deliver after he leaves.
Wayne is known for specializing in the personal touch. Meal trays often are accompanied by handmade cards, a small gift or a flower. “My favorite part of the job is the time I spend with our patients and residents,” Wayne says.
Co-workers notice.
"Wayne is very quiet, is dependable and (is) kind to the residents," said Novella Bozman, long-time director of the Alice B. Tawes Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. "I think what impressed me the most is his giving every resident a card on their food tray for various holidays."
Susan Bradshaw, the Tawes center's nursing director, said "when I see him on the hall, I know the job (of delivering warm meals on time) is going to get done right."
"Wayne takes great pride in his job, and he's extremely nice," Bradshaw said. "He'll do anything you ask him to do and doesn't ask why. And he always looks professional."
Depending on the season, Wayne can be seen wearing one of the 50 or so caps from his collection that reflect his rooting interests in the professional sports teams that he follows. Right now, its a 2009 "World Championship" Pittsburgh Steelers ball cap, but by the time baseball season is in full swing, he said he'll probably switch over to an Orioles' lid.
He's a proud member of Shiloh United Methodist in Crisfield, a church he says he's attended most of his life. Wayne is a hard-to-miss member of the men's choir. "They like my deep voice," he says with a smile.
 Wayne likes to bake – cookies and brownies are his forte. He’s also an artist, producing a distinctive genre of modest ceramics and paintings known as “outsider art.” Landscapes are a favorite subject when he paints.
Watching sports is an outlet for the former amateur boxer, too. Like many Baby Boomers, Muhammad Ali and Hank Aaron are heroes of his youth.
Read about last month's employee in the spotlight, LORI WARD.
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