Anyone nicknamed “Little Mike” must have a big following.

WFF worker Mike Duplessis, better known as “Little Mike” and “Mr. Mike” to the Communications/Music Complex where he works, retired this week. Duplessis came to
Loyola in 1984 from Tulane University, where he worked since 1962.

“Loyola’s a lot better than Tulane,” he said. Not only did Loyola treat him well, he said, it also provided invaluable help for his wife who needed a heart and kidney transplant. “She’s doing very well. With the insurance that we have, Loyola pays for that, so we had no problems,” he said. “I’m blessed by that. And she’s carrying on.”

But after 24 years working on Loyola’s campus, Duplessis has decided it’s time to leave. “I’m 65 now. It’s time for me to relax a bit,” he said. “The type of work I’m doing here, cleaning carpet, it’s a lot of bending over, and it gets to your back. I feel I better save my back and move on.” But he’ll miss the people he’s grown close to during his time here. “Miss Sally, Miss Sheila, Miss Pearl, Miss Phyllis, Bob Thomas,” he said, “Good people.”

“I’ll miss lot of students that I made friends with. My heart is here because I’ve been here so long.” And he’s also leaving with a lot of fond – and hilarious – memories. “There were a lot of incidents with students hurting themselves with vending machines while I was here. They would shake them, and the machines would fall down on them. That’s why they’re bolted to the floor now.”

According to Bob Thomas, interim director to the School of Mass Communication, Duplessis has maintained carpets in our building since it was built. “He’s one of the most dependable workers we’ve ever had in this building,” he said. “He’s always smiling, he always makes you feel good. He’ll be sorely missed.”

Fortunately, Duplessis said he’s been training an apprentice to take his place. But it’ll take him a long time to build up the fan club that Little Mike is leaving behind.

Katie Urbaszewski  can be reached at [email protected].