The legendary Carol Loomis, who was at Fortune for the very first iteration of the Fortune 500 list in 1955, gave her au revoir to the Time Inc. title on Tuesday.
The 85-year-old senior editor-at-large, who has been on the job over 60 years, is the longest-serving person in the history of the publishing giant.
“Three score and five months ago, I came to Fortune,” she wrote in a July 1 farewell to colleagues memo obtained by Media Ink.
“I loved my job from the start and have always considered myself supremely lucky to be here. But today seems to be my last day before I retire so …”
And she went on to thank a long list of friends and colleagues, including current Managing Editor Andy Serwer — who she noted was the 11th managing editor she had seen in her tenure.
“When people ask you why I am retiring and ‘age 85’ does not satisfy them, please suggest that they have the wrong question,” she wrote. “The right one is, ‘Why did Carol work so long?’”
She long ago busted the longevity record for an employee, which was set by Roy Larsen, a company co-founder with Henry Luce, who had served for 56 years and retired in 1979 at the age of 80.
Asked what she plans to do next, she told Media Ink, “I’m going to feel my way in retirement — read a novel or two — how about that for something new? Play more bridge. Play more golf.”
Loomis had fostered a particularly close friendship with the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett, over the years. Since 1977, she’s edited the Letter to Shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway filled with bon mots from the folksy chairman. She’ll continue editing the letter.