Tom Sabourin thought he’d be a mechanic. But when he went to apply at what was then known as the Metropolitan Transit Commission, he found out he’d have to start as a cleaner before he could start working on buses. “So, I decided I was sick of getting dirty and decides I’d try driving instead,” Sabourin said. His decision to take a new path led to a 43-year career in transit that concluded in early 2022.

Sabourin began at the old Northside Garage and, expect for a short stint at Ruter, spent his entire career there and at Heywood, near the home where he grew up. About 14 years into his career, he thought he’d expand his skills and started working as a relief dispatcher. In 1996, he moved into a full-time dispatching role. He enjoyed the work, he said, because it was intuitive to him and he got to interact with fellow drivers. “The first person the driver sees is you, and the first person the customer sees is the driver, so I always tried to stay positive,” he said. While dispatching was his main role, Sabourin never lost his love for driving and continued to pick up extra trips through the end of his career. 

In retirement, Sabourin planned to move to Texas to be closer to family.