By Meg Peters
Review Staff Writer
State Farm Insurance won’t be the same without Bill Kirchner’s humor around.
After almost 35 years as an agent, Kirchner, 66, is saying goodbye to his staff and policy holders, which is not an easy task.
His new task, trying to figure out what this retirement is all about.
The major upside, he said, was more free time to golf, hunt occasionally and do a little fishing, although his staff ‘thought I was off all the time anyway,? he said.
‘I’m going to miss my staff and all my policy holders, that’s the biggest downside, but my wife said she has plenty of things for me to do,? he said.?
His wife Linda, and two daughters Angela Dempsey and Katherine Kirchner have been in Lake Orion since 1977. Dempsey is a stay-at-home mom who runs her own business, and has two bambinos around for Kirchner to play with in his new found freedom. His other daughter Katherine is a first grade teacher at Stadium Elementary with 27 kiddos of her own.?
Life has treated Kirchner kindly over the years in Lake Orion. He has been a State Farm agent for almost 35 years, first in Utica, then in a store behind Hanson’s Running shop before he moved to the current location at Shadbolt and Broadway.
Before he spoke insurance, he left a promising career as a wiener salesman for Oscar Meyer.
‘I started out wanting to be the top guy at Oscar Meyer and figured at some point in time that I could be the top guy but I didn’t have to be at a great big company to do it,? he said.
Kirchner obtained his undergraduate degree in teaching with a business background, and earned a Masters of Business Administration with an insurance background. He got into the insurance agency after watching his brother in law do the same, and taking advice from an All State agent who said if it were him, he would go to State Farm.
After about a year, Kirchner began making his dreams come true.
He has seen the major growth of Lake Orion and Orion Township, school buildings built, businesses thrive, and the ups and downs with the recession of 2009.
‘The people are always the same,? he said. ‘Nice people.?
Kirchner’s last, official day was Wednesday, Nov. 26.
Once he gets through his ‘honey-do? list, involving Kirchner and his wife brightening up their garden next summer, he’s not sure what this retirement thing is all about after that.
That’s his mission, while enjoying time with his family? to figure out how not to come back to work.
‘State Farm has been good to me. Hopefully I’ve been good to them. Right now I have no plans to come back part-time, but you never say never. I think Walmart did away with their greeters, not sure if I could do that one. I don’t know if Home Depot has a greeter or not.?
He will find something to do. His last words of wisdom and cheer are sent to his staff members and customers.
‘To my customers, thank you for all your confidence that you’ve had in me and the agency over the years. But it wasn’t just me, my staff really made my agency. No matter what anybody says, if you don’t have good people, your business isn’t going to be any good.?
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