Beloved Bus Driver In Canon-McMillan School District Retiring After 35 Years

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A beloved bus driver in the Canon-McMillan School District is retiring after 35 years.

Andy Caroselli is an early riser.

"I get up every morning like an alarm clock at 4:30," Caroselli said.

He has a very important job in the school district. He's been a bus driver for more than three decades.

But before he was behind the wheel, he was trotting with horses as a harness racer in the 60s and 70s.

"I just fell into it," Caroselli said. "I got with a guy who left another driver and got in there training and racing his horses. So I ended up with 14 to 16 racehorses and I ended up racing them."

In the 1980s, he traded up to engine transport with some precious cargo on board.

"You got a bigger responsibility taking the kids to school," Caroselli said. "You got to get them there safely."

Kids from every grade have filled the seats. He is a disciplinarian with a softer side.

"If we're misbehaving, he won't write us up to the principal. He'll just make us sit up front for two days. And he's just really nice to us," said William Heller.

But this year, Caroselli made a decision.

"My wife can't wait until I retire. She's probably home right now making up the honey-do list," Caroselli said.

The 73-year-old said it was time to make a shift, though he will miss the relationships the most.

"I'll miss the people. We get together all the time. And the kids, some of them don't want me to leave," Caroselli said.

Neither do the parents. Chris Bise recalls how Caroselli cared for his children.

"He actually was there a few times when she didn't feel well. He would call us on the phone and make sure Amelia was OK or he would stop by personally and drop off something she had left on the bus," Bise said.

That extra touch leaves lasting memories.

"The impact you've had on children will be felt long after you've been here," Bise said.