126108631_web1_Spitz-Foundation

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WEST PITTSTON &#8211; There comes a time in one&rsquo;s career when it&rsquo;s time to retire and after 47-years serving the public, West Side Auto&rsquo;s Ron Gitkos is putting away his toolbox permanently.
				Gitkos, a 72-year-old Exeter resident, has been turning a wrench since he was a member of the U.S. Navy (1968-1972) where he parlayed that into a career in the automotive service industry.
				In 1973, Gitkos partnered with Charles &ldquo;Chipper&rdquo; Bell until 1981 with Bell departing for a job at Tobyhanna Army Depot.
				As the sole owner of West Side Auto, Gitkos estimated hiring more than 1,500 full- and part-time people in 47-years with many being second and third generation families. Often times, he would hire school-aged children as an after school job.
				West Side Auto was a true family-owned business meaning many of Gitkos&rsquo; own family work for him. Early on his mother, Kay, and sister, Helen, did bookkeeping; wife, Rosemary, along with his daughter, Keri Ann, currently help out. His daughter, Joyell, pumped gas for many years until leaving in 2005. Since 2010, Gitkos&rsquo; son-in-law, Caz Vermac, has been his right-hand man and mechanic.
				Cousins, nephews, close friends and neighbors have pitched in over the years in making West Side Auto a success for all these years.
				Gitkos said he wanted to thank longtime employees such as Carl Wilcox, Camille O&rsquo;Keefe, John Tomsak and Phil Hando, for being an important part of the team. His late father-in-law Andrew &ldquo;Sooner&rdquo; Vacula served as a &ldquo;senior supervisor&rdquo; keeping everyone in line.
				For nine years, Gitkos branched out and opened East Side Auto in Plains. Longtime employee Carl Wilcox ran the service station from 1986 to 1995.
				&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll miss the customers, employees, the daily routine putting the flags up and seeing my father&rsquo;s picture on the pole with the other service men,&rdquo; Gitkos said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll miss seeing my daughter, Keri Ann, in the morning, actually I&rsquo;ll miss a lot of it &#8211; the daily routine and the activity that goes around the garage, the interesting people I&rsquo;ve met, and I&rsquo;ve made more friends over these years.&rdquo;
				&ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking forward to doing something different,&rdquo; Gitkos added. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to stop moving, I&rsquo;m going to continue with my hobbies and maybe pick up a few news ones. I&rsquo;m also looking forward to traveling and spending alone time with my best friend, my wife.&rdquo;
				The Gitkos&rsquo; will be celebrating 51 years of marriage in 2021.
				&ldquo;Forty-seven years doesn&rsquo;t seem like it,&rdquo; Gitkos said. &ldquo;I thank God I&rsquo;m healthy and that He&rsquo;s let me to be able to do this with a few setbacks over the years, but I&rsquo;m truly blessed that I&rsquo;ve been able to do this.&rdquo;

126108521_web1_Gitkos-Retires-1

Ron Gitkos to retire