All in the family: 4th-generation employee retires after more than 4 decades working at Peoples Natural Gas

Craig Wyke’s first job at Peoples Natural Gas was in the delinquent accounts department.

“I had to inform people their gas was about to be turned off,” said Wyke, who grew up in Penn Hills and lives in West Deer, as he recalled his more than 40-year career with the company. “It wasn’t easy. People were upset.”

That initial position which he started on May 2, 1983, and held for a year didn’t deter him from staying for 40 more. He retired July 15.

You might say his dedication to stay with the company for four decades was founded on a family connection.

His great-grandfather, Alexander Smyers, worked for the company. Wyke, 70, is not sure of his great-grandfather’s job but knows Smyers started with the company when it opened in 1885. Peoples has various offices and locations throughout Western Pennsylvania.

Wyke’s grandfather, Isaac Lee Wyke, drilled oil wells and later became a straw boss, the assistant to the shop supervisor who oversaw the work of others but was still responsible for doing his own work. He eventually became a shop supervisor. He retired after 44 years.

Wyke’s father started out as a laborer which included digging ditches, reading meters and walking transmission lines in search of leaks. He also was a maintenance man and gas dispatcher. He became chief dispatcher in 1970.

Other family members of Craig Wyke also worked for Peoples — including great uncles and Wyke’s brother, John “Jack” Wyke Jr., who served as a fitter leader and was in charge of installing, repairing and inspecting gas lines.

After his initial position in the delinquent department Wyke took a customer service job and went on to a supervisor position. Throughout his time with Peoples, Wyke worked in several offices and was in charge of more than 100 employees over the course of his career.

He said some of the best advice he received came from a letter his brother wrote that cautioned Wyke after he was promoted to a leadership position. It said to always remember family is the most important for both him and his employees, to not forget where he came from and to never hold a grudge.

His brother also relayed a message in that letter that their father would be proud of the family’s dedication to Peoples. The two talk daily.

“I think, as a result of what my brother wrote to me, that actually brought the people who worked for me closer knowing that I placed a value on those things,” Wyke said.

Peoples director of field customer service Bob Thomas met Wyke more than two decades ago. Thomas said via email it was quickly evident that Wyke took pride in his work.

“A lot of knowledge walked out the door when he retired,” Thomas said. “Fortunately, many of those who are filling his shoes have benefited from his influence, myself included.”

Added Thomas: “We immediately hit it off. Craig was very accommodating and helpful in my personal development as a supervisor. Perhaps it was the former teacher in him.”

Wyke said he loved teaching and has remained close friends with many of his former students and colleagues.

But working at Peoples and in the gas industry was truly in his blood, he said. It took him several attempts to get hired at Peoples.

Peoples President Michael Huwar said via email that the family connection is an amazing story.

“We are so proud of Craig and his family history within Peoples,” Huwar said. “I know Craig to be engaged, trustworthy and extremely humble in his everyday pursuit of excellence. I know and understand his love for family as it comes through in every encounter with Craig. We wish Craig and his family all the best!”

Wyke said he didn’t want a big retirement party, and he worked a full shift on his final work day.

“I had people that worked for me always work a full day on their last day so I wanted to do that, too,” he said. “I was just on a getaway weekend with some friends of mine this past weekend, and one of them told me after you retire every night is a Friday night and every day is a Saturday.”

This new stage of life will take some time to get used to, including not having to have his cellphone close by 24 hours a day.

Everyone has been asking Wyke what he plans to do: golf, travel, spend time with family?

“I am not sure what I am going to do,” he said. “I don’t have a grand plan. It’s just turning another page.”

But it’s a page in the family career history book without an ending just yet.

Wyke’s son, Ben, is a fifth-generation employee who, like his dad, did a career change to work at Peoples. He is a fitter leader.

“I see the same company pride and work ethic in his son, Ben,” Thomas said.