For more than 30 years, postal carrier Rene Butor has been a watchdog, a personal confidant and a comforting daily presence for residents in North Pacific Beach. On Jan. 30, Butor delivered mail along his usual route on streets like Loring, Wilbur and Opal for the last time before retiring from the job he has dedicated his life to since 1979. As he looks toward retirement, area residents – some of whom have only known Butor as their mailman — reflected on times past, honoring the humble, dependable man they knew and loved all those years. More than 50 North PB neighbors turned out that day in a block-party of sorts, where Butor was the celebrity of the day. Many gave cards and gifts, some took photos with their longtime mailman, and one neighbor, artist Dot Renshaw, was even charged by neighbors to paint a photo of their beloved mailman to present to him during his retirement bash amid cake, kids and old friends. Although it is uncertain who will take over regular mail delivery in the area, one thing is certain — the new postal carrier will have some big shoes to fill.