Saying goodbye is often difficult, and having to say goodbye after 43 years is even tougher.

At BankTrust on Friday, the bank had to do just that to one of its own in Gary Pierson, Sr. Vice President and Trust Officer.

“It’s been an honor and a privilege working with Gary,” said Scoop Rivers, Trust Officer at BankTrust. “To work with someone an knowledgeable and professional as Gary, you benefit greatly from his expertise.”

Pierson started on Aug. 14, 1967 as a Teller at People’s Banks and Trust as a teller before transferring to the Trust Department in 1969 where he spent the next 40 years.

“He knows the trust business better than anyone I know,” said Bud Doyle, Executive Vice President of Trust and Wealth Management. “That’s a lot of experience walking out the door. Gary has been working with his team the past year, but you just can’t replace that kind of experience.”

All of Pierson’s co-workers said it was his ability to work with customers that really made him stand out.

“He’s the consummate professional,” said Rivers. “The way he worked with his customers was amazing. One attorney in town said ‘You won’t be able to fill those shoes,’ and he’s got a point.”

Pierson served as president of the Trust Division of the Alabama Bankers Association, Dallas County Cattleman’s Association, served on the Executive Committee in 207 and 2008 and was awarded the Trust Division’s Trust Career Award, the highest honor a trust professional can receive in Alabama.