Former Corrections officer Gordon Broome, 80, began delivering the Otago Daily Times with his son in Victoria Rd and Albert St in 1986.
It was initially his son’s route and he was keeping him company because he was just 12..
He did not want him getting in trouble with any of the "young yahoos" that used to surf at St Clair.
"They got the money, I got the exercise," he said.
His second son eventually took over the route, and then his daughter did it.
However, Mr Broome always went along.
He would get up at 4am every day to get his paper run done really early when he started doing it on his own.
There were a couple of instances that had stuck with him from his paper runs.
He remembered rushing home to call the police after he heard some glass breaking at St Clair School back when he did not have a cellphone.
Another time, he found people ripping copper off a gate at Forbury Park.
He provided a positive identification of the perpetrator to the police.
Mr Broome was hoping to make it to an even 40 years before he retired next year.
However, he recently discovered he had blood cancer and that forced him to end his run earlier.
Allied Media chief executive Grant McKenzie said it was always sad to lose long-serving and dedicated employees.
"Gordon has done a great job for us and will be sorely missed."
Delivery team leader Jessie Karnstein said Mr Broome had been dedicated to ensuring ODT subscribers were happy and received clean, dry papers six mornings a week for nearly 40 years.
"I have never had to contact him regarding any misses or late deliveries, only with thanks from customers.
"The delivery and distribution team will indeed miss him. It can be hard to find people as reliable as him."
