Ron and Betty Fraser, both 60, of Mason Lodge, spent their working lives as a school janitor and geriatric nurse, respectively.
Mr Fraser began his career as an apprentice painter and decorator at Dunecht Estates in 1962. He left the position due to industrial dermatitis, a condition which causes the skin to react to regular contact with irritant substances, but admitted he always had a craving to work in schools as his father had been a janitor.
"I began work at Westhill Academy in 1979 when it was first built and I took in all the new furniture. There were 250 pupils there when I started. When I retired in November last year the roll count was 960.
"I saw a lot of extensions and changes over that time. The attitudes of the pupils have changed, they are much more confident these days," said Mr Fraser.
After one year Mr Fraser was appointed head janitor and after a further two years he took on the position of supervisor, adding the care of Dunecht, Echt, Elrick, Crombie, Westhill and Skene primary schools to his duties.
Mr Fraser said he "thoroughly enjoyed" his work at the school and said that seeing the musical acts Travis and David Sneddon perform were the highlights.
Betty Fraser also began work in 1962, egg packing in her home town of Alford. In 1965 she went away to Stracathro Hospital and trained as a nurse, passing her finals in 1969. She began work at Woodend Hospital, Aberdeen, in 1970. She married in 1972 and in 1973 took a few years out of her career to care for her son, Mike, now 33.
"I went back to work in 1977 at the Glenburn, now Woodend South, to work with elderly patients and I thought I would only work a couple of weeks but I loved it. I even loved working Christmas day with the patients," said Mrs Fraser.
When asked to describe the best part of her work Mrs Fraser said: "It is seeing the old folk getting home when they are better or if they are suffering to see them pass on."
Mrs Fraser's last day was April 19 but she will stay on the nursing bank
The couple plan to spend their retirement taking caravan holidays and enjoying quality time with their son, Mike, his wife Joanne, and grandsons Daniel, 10, and Lewis, 5.
The couple had a party with friends and family at the Glenburn Social Club at Aberdeen Airport on April 28.