George Crabtree, 65, Returns 3 Days a Week to Seattle Printer After 11 Days Retired
Updated
Updated · Business Insider · Aug 15
George Crabtree, 65, Returns 3 Days a Week to Seattle Printer After 11 Days Retired
1 articles · Updated · Business Insider · Aug 15
Summary
Eleven days after retiring in October 2025, George Crabtree returned part-time to his former Seattle commercial printing firm, agreeing to work Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, usually from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Two staffing gaps drove the request: one worker went on medical leave and another quit unexpectedly, leaving the company short-handed and prompting managers to ask the 65-year-old former printer to help.
Flexible terms helped seal the deal. Crabtree can largely choose his hours, occasionally work overtime, and delay claiming Social Security until 70 while adding income he says he does not strictly need.
The arrangement follows a 40-year career in printing and what he calls a "soft retirement"—combining paid work, volunteering twice weekly at Bellevue Botanical Garden, gym visits and extended travel with his wife.