TED Turner was so good at his job as caretaker of Okehampton Primary School for 11 years that he earned the title of 'SuperTed'.
Head of the school Brian Cunningham praised Mr Turner at a special farewell presentation recently in which he described his generosity, conscientiousness and pride in his work.
'Personally, I have had the good fortune to work with a number of excellent caretakers in my 14 years of headship in three Devon schools but I count my blessings where Ted in concerned — he is simply the best!' he said.
'His main mission over the past 11 years has been to keep our school one to be proud of and it shows.'
Mr Turner became caretaker at the school in the latter part of his working life after years in the building trade.
Mr Cunningham said, being a keen gardener, the caretaker had often brought in garden produce for members of staff and was always ready with gardening advice.
'He knew all the children by name and never grumbled or raised his voice even in extreme provocation,' said Mr Cunningham.
He recalled the time Mr Turner organised a jumble sale to raise money for the school and all the visits he had made to the school during cold spells to check pipes had not frozen.
'I would like to thank Ted for all the many ways that he has contributed to our school and wish him and his wife Di a long and happy retirement together,' he said.