John Bailey was on his way out of the Lakewood post office on Friday when he learned that Karen and Sharon Lawson were retiring.

“I’ve gotta go run back in and say ‘thank you,’” he said, immediately turning heel to return through the automatic door.

What makes the Lawsons stand out is not just that they’re identical twins – look-alikes from their Postal Service uniforms to the gray-streaked brown hair curling below their shoulders to the black, faux-gem studded “reader” eyeglasses they bought at Costco.

It’s not just that their voices carry the same pitch and timbre.

It’s not even that postal station manager Russell Jackson can’t tell them apart without looking at their name tags after three years of working with them.

What makes the Lawsons special, customers and co-workers say, is their dedication, their decency, their desire to help people and rescue animals.

Of course there’s also the part about doing a literal double take when you walk in and see them at side-by-side windows.

The twins, who joined the Postal Service 41 years ago at age 20, are retiring this weekend after spending more than 30 years at the Lakewood post office.

Maintenance mechanic Mack McGilvrey calls them “great characters.” He hasn’t been at the Lakewood station long. But after he walked around singing “Sisters, Sisters,” the song Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen sang in “White Christmas,” Karen gave him a copy of the film.

But are they exactly alike?

No, but close. Neither married nor had children. They live in separate houses three blocks apart in Fircrest. Karen doesn’t have a car.

“She depends on me for transportation, so that kind of puts us together more than we would be,” Sharon said.

They don’t dress alike once out of their postal uniforms, but they do share the same tastes in music, movies, food and pets. Both love dogs and hope to volunteer at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary when they retire to Kanab, Utah, a place they love for its simplicity and friendliness.

Karen has two terrier mixes, Woofy and Goldy. Sharon has a dachshund-Chihuahua mix named Sparky and a Chihuahua named Margie.

They are Pentecostal Christians, well-rooted in their faith.

They do sometimes say the same thing at the same time. (“We like people,” they answered in unison when asked about their careers.) They complete each other’s thoughts.

They don’t try to trick people with twin switcheroos like those in “The Parent Trap” movies.

Sometimes, however, twin confusion has happened by accident – to the frustration of postal customers, co-worker Judann CdeBaca said. One twin might leave a patron at her window briefly while she goes to get something or solve a problem. In the meantime, the other sister, who’s been away doing a similar chore, might return to her own customer down the way.

The customer whose twin clerk is still gone will look perplexed, then miffed, and say something like, “‘Why is she down there, when she’s supposed to be helping me?’” CdeBaca said.

But quibbles with the Lawsons’ service are rare.

“They’re real sweethearts,” 10-year customer Ronald Van Horn said. “They’re always nice to you. They really bend over backward to help you. They’re going to be sorely missed.”

Both twins teared up when they heard Maryanne Van Camp’s tribute.

“Oh, they’re terrific,” said Van Camp, a 70-something customer. “They have a special way about them. They’re spiritual. They’re refined. They’re real ladies. … I say, ‘God bless you,’ and they say, ‘God bless you, too.’”

Kris Sherman: 253-597-8659

kris.sherman@thenewstribune.com

MEET THE LAWSON TWINS

Names: Karen and Sharon

Age: Will be 62 next month

Childhood: Born in Tacoma, grew up in Indiana, California, Washington. Graduated from East Bremerton High School.

Joined Postal Service: April 15, 1968, at age 20

What they like: Dogs, helping animals, serving people, old movies, Western film stars, big band music, singer John Davidson

What customer John Bailey says: “They’re courteous. They’re always professional. They give you the best advice on how to ship things.”

What Lakewood post office manager Russell Jackon says: “They just go out of their way to help people. … One thing Lakewood is known for is the twins.”

Did they ever switch places to trick people? “No,” Karen said, as Sharon nodded assent. “We’re too shy.”

What they want you to know: Lakewood residents are great. “We’re going to miss waiting on them because they’re all so sweet,” Karen said.

Kris Sherman, The News Tribune