After opening up their plumbing and heating business out of the basement of their home, two Wareham residents spent decades serving the South Coast and beyond, making friends wherever they went. They had planned on handing the business over to their son Chad once they retired but a fatal accident prevented the two from living out this reality.

Chet's Plumbing and Heating, located in Marion is owned by Debra and Chet Rusinoski. The family business has been is business for 45 years and it will officially close up shop on May 31 of this year.

The two hadn't planned on closing the business upon retiring but their son Chad died in an accident six years ago at the age of 38. At the time, he and his wife had two young children with a third on the way.

"You don't get to cry," Chet said. "My son would've told me 'what dad you can't keep up,' I can hear him lecturing me now."

The couple had to continue working through the tragedy and while they received immense community support, they said it wasn't easy to keep going and due to age, it is now time to retire.

"When do you retire when you can walk on the beach or when you're being pushed around in a wheelchair," Chet said. "It's not a pretty story but considering where we're at right now, this is about as good as it's going to end."

The business has always been about family. Chet grew up working for his brother-in-law's plumbing business in the late 1960s and just over a decade later, he and his wife took a leap of faith and started their own business.

"I told him we only have $600 in the bank and I'm pregnant but here we are," Debra said.

It wasn't until 1989 that the couple moved their family operation out of their home and into Marion which was no easy feat considering the couple had recently become parents to a baby boy and girl.

Throughout the many decades of operation, Chet and Debra said they were able to make strong connections with many people in the community. Often times Chet said he would double as a baby sitter while working in someone's home.

"There were times I was changing diapers on the job," he said.

Debra added that she has always felt "a strong bond with all of [their] customers."

Chet said his son Chad grew up on the shop floor and followed in his fathers footsteps, getting his plumbing license and then his master plumbers license, the highest level of plumbing expertise one can achieve.

"My son was such a perfectionist," Chet said. "His room was always neat as pin, his truck was neat as a pin and he always had his paperwork done."

Debra added that to this day, the support they felt from their customers is something they will always cherish.

"We have a customer who would always send little notes with her bill saying 'I hope the grandchildren are doing fine and different little condolences," Debra said.

To honor his son, Chet redid the sign of his building to match his grandkids favorite colors of purple, red and orange.

"It was truly a labor of love," Debra said.