NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After 11 years as an ambassador at Chick-fil-A, 91-year-old Ms. Marie retired from the restaurant on Charlotte Pike in Nashville in March.
"Once I retired, I lost my husband…I was feeling sorry for myself. And the Lord just said ‘Get up and go to Chick-fil-A they have a new store. I had [only] been retired 2 weeks from driving the school bus for 33 years," Ms. Marie.
When she went in to the store that day, they hired her on the spot. She is one of the team members that has been with the restaurant since it opened and in the process became a bit of a local celebrity.
"Everywhere we went: ‘There's Miss Marie from Chick fil A!’ or we’d go to a doctor's office and I’d say ‘Yeah, my mother works 91 Chick fil A? Your mom’s Miss Marie?’" explained Marie's daughter Debbie Wynn.
Her job was to greet the customers at the door, maintain the dining room and make the customers feel welcome—for Ms. Marie, that meant just being herself.
"As you can see, by all these people here, you come here for a meal, but it really she makes this Chick-fil-A what it is. She makes this community what it is, you know, she's just a shining light and really just like a great example of a hard working individual that's worked her whole life and she deserves every amount of love that she gets," stated Chick-fil-A customer Catherine Chapman.
Ms. Marie took a special interest in the children in the dining room handing out stickers, coloring supplies and other supports to parents.
"One time my son was here and he loves ice cream. It's one of the safe foods because he has autism. Miss Marie came and brought an ice cream cone and when he looked at her you could have seen rays of sunshine coming out from behind her he was totally in awe. Fell in love with her instantly," recounted Chapman. "We've been coming back ever since."
Ms. Marie's party at the end of March was full with those who were sad to see her leave.
"Everyone keeps telling me how much they love me and that means so much to me and I tell them and they know it too!" she said with a smile.
That love is what became her hallmark and what customers said they will remember her by.
"I have learned that if you treat people like we’re supposed to be treated, you receive it all back," Ms. Marie said, "I don’t care how far away I go….somebody hollers ‘Hey Ms. Marie!’ and I know I met them at Chick-fil-A. So Chick-fil-A will always mean a lot to me."
