'Great' Boss Pays Off 69-Year-Old Man’s Mortgage, Making It Possible for the Veteran to Retire
Albert Brigas has worked hard as a mechanic for business owner Rudy Quinones for more than a decade.
So when Brigas announced he planned to retire as soon as he’d paid off his mortgage, Quinones was more than happy to step in and speed up the process.
Quinones, the owner of Renown Auto Restoration in San Antonio, Texas, paid off the $5,000 Brigas had left of his mortgage on the house he’s lived in for the past 24 years, he told CBS affiliate KENS.
The October act of kindness meant that instead of retiring as he planned to in February, Brigas, 69, was able to do so early, Good Morning America reported.
“Albert is a humble individual, extremely hardworking, would give the shirt off his back to anyone,” his boss told GMA. “His family was very close to our hearts and the fact that he gave us so many loyal years of service… He’d come to work sick, he never came in late. He is just one of those guys that had so much pride in what he did.”
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Quinones said that Brigas had made his intentions known over the last year, and so last month, he called him into his office, where he filled out the check for $5,000.
Together, Quinones, Brigas, and his wife Sylvia headed to the bank, where they paid it off once and for all, according to KENS.
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“He cares about his people and what happens,” Brigas said. “My house is paid for and I’m ready to enjoy my retired life.”
He added to GMA, “[I’m] very surprised and very grateful. He’s a really great guy.”
Brigas was an employee of Quinones’ for 13 years, and is also a Vietnam War veteran who worked as an aircraft mechanic in the Air Force.
Now that he no longer has to work, Brigas told KENS he’s been spending time with his 12-year-old granddaughter and new grandson.
“To give them something that they’ve been yearning to have their whole lives,” Quinones said, “it’s incredible.”
