When Master Shipbuilder Robert Maker (X31) began his career as an electrician at Newport News Shipbuilding, he never imagined spending 55 years at the shipyard. However, that’s the milestone work anniversary he reached June 17.

“The main focus was to get into the workforce,” Maker said of his decision to work at NNS right out of high school. “I got out of school one week and went to work the next week.”

A group of Maker’s co-workers gathered in his shop last week to celebrate his anniversary and present him with a framed copy of his employment application from 1968 and a personalized street sign.

“When you’ve been around people so much, we become like a family. It doesn’t matter what it is, we help each other,” he said.

Maker uses his experience as a longtime shipbuilder to mentor fellow employees, especially those who are coming into the shipyard at a young age like he did. The mentorship extends beyond work and often includes conversations about making wise financial decisions and saving for the future.

“You give them advice because you know what you’re talking about. You’ve been around so long and have seen a lot of stuff. It’s up to them whether or not they take heed,” he said. “You want them to get out of the blocks early with positivity on their plate.”

M40 General Foreman David Beason, a fellow Master Shipbuilder who has worked alongside Maker for decades, said Maker is known for helping people out and is well respected across the shipyard.

“The number of people he knows and has built relationships with over the years makes him that much more successful,” Beason said.

Those relationships with people across NNS are what stick out when Maker thinks about his career. “It’s all in the way you treat people and the way you approach them,” he said. “Sometimes, a person could be having a bad day, and you might be able to pick them up.”

As he looks forward to retirement – at the strong urging of his wife and daughters – later this year, Maker said he’s proud of his work. He’s also grateful for the way NNS allowed him to provide for his family through the years, including allowing him and his wife to send their daughters to college. “They have excelled so much, it makes you look back and say you did a good job,” he said.

From starting out making $2.41 per hour 55 years ago to becoming a mentor to many, Maker will leave a legacy for other shipbuilders to follow.

“I may have had some complaints. But overall, it’s been good,” Maker said reflecting on his career.