There's no replacing Happy Henry.
Charleston's favorite bellman, Henry Middleton — known to most as "Happy Henry" thanks to his perpetual grin — has retired, and he's left some pretty big dancing shoes to fill.
"We'll hire another bellman, but there's no way we can replace him," said Ken Gillespie, a general manager at the Hampton Inn in downtown Charleston.
After working there for 15 years, Middleton, who was born and raised in Charleston, announced last week he was moving to Knoxville, Tenn., where he'll enjoy retirement with his son and grandchildren.
From day one, his coworkers said, guests took notice of Middleton's sunny outlook. He'd sing in the lobby, dance down the hallways and could never be caught without a smile on his face.
Then, over the last several years, Middleton's presence at Charleston's annual Cooper River Bridge Run spread that joy even further. Wearing his bellman's uniform, Middleton cheered the runners on from the sidelines, singing, grooving and giving out high fives with glee.
A video of his cheerleading antics was viewed thousands of times on Facebook, and Happy Henry's local celebrity grew.
It's not uncommon for guests to ask if Middleton is still working there before they book rooms at the Meeting Street Hampton Inn, and even some repeat visitors to the Holy City who are staying at other hotels will drop by to pay him a visit or snap a picture.
Just a couple weeks ago, an employee at a Mount Pleasant hotel called to see if Middleton was working, recalled Gillespie. Two of their guests "had to see Happy Henry" before they caught their flight home.
Other Charleston hotels have tried to get Middleton to join their staffs, but he never accepted their offers.
The staff at the Hampton is "his family," Middleton said, and it's them he'll miss the most in retirement. As for leaving Charleston, he'll miss the food, especially his favorite, lima beans.
In 2017, Middleton was recognized by the Hampton Inn hotel chain with a national award. Kevin Eichman, a general manager at the hotel at the time, wrote in his nomination letter about Middleton's "infectious way of making people happy."
The letter cited stories of Middleton digging through a trash bag to recover a guests's lost cell phone, praying with someone who was in town for a medical procedure and handing out teddy bears to children in the lobby.
Mary Wilson, who's worked at the hotel for 26 years, said that from Middleton's first day he was "going the extra mile," whether that meant bringing the linens upstairs for the housekeeping staff or just keeping them smiling on a tough day.
"That man right there is something else," Charlestta Cash, another coworker, said at a going away party held for Middleton in the hotel's lobby on Jan. 15. "I don't know where he gets it from. I've never seen that man without a smile."
Gold mylar balloons that spelled "Happy Henry" were hung in the lobby above a table decorated with smiley face buttons and cards. Friends who dropped by for the sendoff hugged Middleton and asked how he was.
"Happy," he replied each time.
People often ask Middleton how he does it. How is he that happy every day?
To him, it's simple. He credits his faith and said he thinks his ability to bring other people joy is a gift he's been blessed with. And the happiness acts as a cycle: his happiness makes someone else happy, and making that person happy makes him all the happier.
That simple philosophy is spelled out on a rug that sits on the threshold of the hotel's main entrance. It says in bold, block letters, "Making You Happy Makes Us Happy." Middleton said he was the inspiration for that decorative detail.
"Everything I do in life comes from my heart," Middleton said. "Joy and love — that's the way I feel. I bring love to the place."
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January 23, 2020 at 05:04AM
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Charleston's favorite bellman 'Happy Henry' is saying goodbye to the Holy City - Charleston Post Courier
"Happy" - Google News
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