JEFFERSON — From the attic of the old courthouse to the latrines of the county’s jail cells, John Puchan knows every square inch of Ashtabula County’s buildings.

“He has a lot of knowledge of these buildings nobody else has,” says County Commissioner Daniel Claypool, whose friendship with Puchan goes back to Claypool’s days as a county employee.

The county loses that knowledge today as Puchan officially retires after 30 years of working in the maintenance area. Puchan’s last day of work was Thursday — today is a furlough day for Puchan — and courthouse workers gathered in the commissioners’ meeting room Thursday afternoon to reminisce with, thank and congratulate the county’s building maintenance mechanic.

In keeping with both the county’s tight budget and Puchan’s line of work, tables were decorated with rolls of toilet paper and paper towels, rubber gloves and mop heads; napkins, originally printed for the Smolen-Gulf Bridge dedication, were used for the array of desserts employees had contributed to the party. Decorations were returned to the supply room after the party.

And when Claypool says Puchan is a valuable employee who can’t be replaced, he’s stating both experiential and economic fact. As part of the commissioners’ cost cutting measures, the position won’t be filled.

Puchan said there have been times the courthouse had seven or eight maintenance people on staff; his departure will leave just three to care for all the buildings the county owns.

He credits his sister, Patty Puchan Davis, who was working as a courthouse switchboard operator for giving him the job-opening tip. It worked out well for both Puchan and his sister; the skills he’s learned on the job have come in handy for the family, as well.

“He’s our fix-it brother,” Davis said.

Puchan said Al Mackey, Pete Iarocci and Tom Nassief were commissioners when he was hired by Betty Johns.

“If it were not for the three commissioners, I don’t know what would have happened to me,” said Puchan, who dabbled in odd jobs before being hired by the county.

Mackey, now a Common Pleas judge, stopped by to thank John for his service.

“John has always had a certain air, a presence about him,” Mackey said. “He’s a cool guy. I’ve never heard him complain, whatever dirty work had to be done.”

Puchan’s had plenty of nasty jobs over the years, including unplugging jail toilets.

“They would try flushing bed sheets, telephone handsets, clothing,” Puchan said.

His maintenance duties covered everything from electrical and plumbing to heating and air conditioning. Puchan said he helped build houses prior to going to work for the county, and credits Jack Fusco, his supervisor for many years, for the on-the-job training.

“This job has taught me a lot,” Puchan said. “(Fusco) taught me a lot about work ethic and a lot about (building) mechanics.”

He also learned a thing or two about unwanted critters. He still recalls the day Eastern County Court Judge Joe West summoned him to his courtroom.

“(The judge) called down and said ‘Get this cat off my chair so I can hold court,’” said Puchan, who adopted the sit-in kitten. He had it for nearly 20 years.

Earlier this month Puchan was called upon to remove pigeons trapped in the building over the weekend. Mackey said one of them was stuck in the space between the drywall and exterior wall. Puchan patiently worked to get the bird out, trapped there for five days, and then released it.

He’s that kind of guy.

“He’s the type of employee any employer would love to have,” Claypool said.

“We hate to see him leave,” said Commissioner Peggy Carlo. “He always has a smile.”

Puchan, 53, also works in the maintenance department at Lake Shore Park and plays drums in the local band, Area 51. He plans to devote more time to those activities now that he’s retired, and give more attention to tasks around his own house.

“Cleaning the garage, and I got a house to paint,” Puchan said of his next maintenance jobs.