In October, Shirley Walbert celebrated her 45th anniversary as a bus driver for the East Penn School District. She has driven three generations of children to and from all levels of school. Walbert also possesses the distinction of having spent her entire career working in the same district.

Walbert’s family is deeply rooted in the Lehigh Valley. Batman and Sell roads take their names from branches of her family tree and her father participated in founding the Upper Milford Fire Company. Consequently, when she found herself a single parent, Walbert determined to stay local and welcomed the opportunity to fill in for a district school van driver.

Walbert’s work ethic and willingness to transfer from navigating a small van to a large bus resulted in full-time employment with the Leibensperger Transportation Company.

Because the first buses she drove had manual transmissions, Walbert jokingly refers to those assignments as “real” bus driving.

For much of her career, Walbert not only drove but also cleaned bus interiors and power washed exteriors. In her words, “[It] gave me satisfaction to see them [the buses] clean.” However, her greatest pleasure has come from interacting with her young riders and their families. She takes justifiable pride in knowing parents appreciate her reliability. As Walbert explains, “They put their children on [the bus] and they feel good.”

The qualities that have endeared her to her passengers and their families have also contributed to Walbert’s job security. She began working for the Leibensperger family-owned business and maintained her position through transitions to the Laidlaw, First Student and STA bus companies. Over the years, children of all ages, including each of her five children, have ridden with her and she has transported football, hockey and baseball teams. Walbert credits her success and enjoyment of her job to her honest treatment of the students.

“I treated the kids on my bus the way I treated my own kids,” Walbert said.

Indeed, her humor, fairness and integrity have made her a favorite with the children. Former riders often greet her with a hug and at the close of one school year she received a thank you poster created and signed by the students.

Learning Walbert was scheduled to make her last run Dec. 23, one student confided he will miss her.

Not one to look back, Walbert views retirement as a time to seek new challenges. In addition to visiting friends and family, she plans to garden and develop her craft skills. Whether driving a bus or planning a pumpkin patch, Walbert performs with gusto. Her retirement, like her employment, is sure to be active, positive and a great ride.