Bay Transit won’t be the same after longtime driver Phyllis Smith finished her shift on Tuesday. Smith, who started driving for Bay Transit on 2006, has retired.

“She will certainly be missed,” said Princess Wise, her supervisor. “Phyllis has such a positive outlook on life and that joy is evident in the way she interacts with customers and coworkers.”

It seems as if Phyllis, a lifelong Lancaster County resident, was born to drive.

Phyllis Smith

“As a youngster I used to drive my siblings to church. My dad always told me I would make a very good driver. Before coming to Bay Transit, I drove a school bus for Lancaster County Public Schools for 14 years,” she recalled. “I had to stop driving after my mom got sick. While taking care of my mom, I started taking care of other people too and found that I really enjoyed helping other people. I’m a ‘people person’ so I found driving and caregiving to be very rewarding,” Smith said.

Smith is also a proud member of the Mount Vern...