How to Write Retirement Thank You Notes (Plus 50 Heartfelt Examples)

You did it! Well, almost… After a few decades in the workforce, you’re ready to call it a career. Now you just have to attend a retirement party or two, open a few retirement gifts, and say your goodbyes.

You don’t need us to tell you that your retirement day is an important milestone. You “fought the good fight” and can now embark on new adventures, doing whatever your heart desires (within reason, of course.) Just make sure you send retirement thank you notes before you clock out for the last time.

A retirement thank you note will give you the chance to thank your boss and colleagues—both for the good times you had together and the retirement cards, gifts, etc. they’ve just given you.

But what if you don’t know what to say in your thank you note? We’re here to help! Keep reading to see 50 thank you note examples, and learn a few tips to craft your own heartfelt messages.

10 Retirement Thank You Notes After You Receive a Card

Your retirement is just around the corner and your boss hands you an envelope or sends you a retirement eCard. Inside the card, there are countless messages thanking you for your services. The entire office signed it and offered you their retirement wishes. You’re touched and want to show your appreciation. The 10 thank you note examples below will do the trick:

1. “Thank you so much for the retirement card, it really means a lot.”
2. “Your card made my day. Thanks for sending it to me!”
3. “I was touched by the retirement card and your warm wishes. Thank you!”
4. “I really appreciate the retirement card and will always remember your kindness.”
5. “I didn’t think I’d care about retirement cards, but I really appreciated your message.”
6. “Your kind words make me wish I retired years ago. Thanks a million!”
7. “Thanks for the amazing retirement card! I’ll treasure it for the rest of my days.”
8. “Your retirement card gave me all the feels. I truly appreciate your beautiful soul.”
9. “My sincere thanks for the retirement letter! I’ll do my best to live up to your words in this next chapter of my life.”
10. “I didn’t think it was possible, but your warm wishes have made my retirement even sweeter.”

10 Retirement Thank You Notes After You Receive a Gift

Your retirement is a momentous occasion, so don’t be surprised if you’re given a generous gift. The people in your life will want to celebrate you and your accomplishments. It’s only natural. Here are 10 unique ways to say “thank you for the retirement gift” after you receive one:

1. “Wow, your generosity blew me away. Thanks so much for the gift!”
2. “I’m truly honored by all the retirement gifts I received, but yours was extra special.”
3. “Thanks for the amazing gift! I’ve already started using it—and don’t plan to stop anytime soon.”
4. “I have to admit, your gift really made me feel important. I appreciate you sending it.”
5. “Thanks for the gift! You’re an amazing person and I’m going to miss seeing you every day.”
6. “I can’t tell you how lucky I am to have you in my life (and not only because you give killer gifts.)”
7. “Thank you for the incredible gift, my friend! I’ll think of you every time I use it.”
8. “The retirement gift you gave me was perfect. I guess you know me pretty well, huh?”
9. “Thanks for the gift you gave me! I knew being your friend would pay off eventually ;)”
10. “All the words I write don’t seem to do your gift justice. So I’ll just say this: THANK YOU!”

10 Retirement Thank You Notes After You’re Thrown a Party

Unless your name is Michael Jordan or Tom Brady, you’re only going to retire once in your life (hopefully). Might as well celebrate with a memorable retirement party, right? We think so, and there are probably people in your life that agree with us! The only question is: how will you thank these people for their generosity? These 10 thank you note examples will get the gears in your head turning:

1. “Thanks for the retirement party! You made me feel like a kid again.”
2. “That party was a fantastic experience. Thanks for making my last day special!”
3. “What a party! Still can’t believe it was all for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
4. “I usually don’t like parties, but the one you threw for me changed my mind. Thank you!”
5. “The party you planned for me was incredible! I think you might have discovered your calling.”
6. “Thanks for attending my retirement party. You helped make it a memorable day.”
7. “The party was a hit. Thanks for putting in the time and effort. I really appreciate it.”
8. “I can’t thank you enough for the amazing party. I hope you know you’re appreciated!”
9. “Thanks for coming to my retirement party. I hope you had as much fun as I did.”
10. “My retirement party was perfect, and you’re a big reason why. Thanks for celebrating with me!”

10 Retirement Thank You Notes to Give Your Coworkers

You’ve probably spent a lot of time with your coworkers over the past few years. So, you might want to thank them for their hard work and friendship before you begin your happy retirement. If so, take a peek at the 10 thank you note ideas below. One of them is sure to fit the bill:

1. “You were the best coworker I could have asked for. Thanks for being you!”
2. “I really enjoyed working with you. Good luck in the rest of your career—you deserve it!”
3. “You’re more than a coworker, you’re a great friend. Let’s make sure we stay in touch.”
4. “Thanks for always being professional. Keep working hard and you’ll become [insert job title].”
5. “Remember that one time when we [insert specific work project]? Seriously, one of the highlights of my career. Thanks for being an awesome person to work with every day!”
6. “I always appreciated your hard work and good attitude. It’s been a pleasure working with you.”
7. “Working with you was better than any retirement gift I could receive. Thanks for the memories!”
8. “I’m so excited to retire, but I’m really going to miss you. Don’t hesitate to reach out!”
9. “You helped make my time at this company the best of my career. Can’t thank you enough!”
10. “Working with you was a hoot! Try not to die of boredom when I’m not around anymore ;)”

10 Retirement Thank You Notes to Send to Your Boss

A good boss is hard to find. If you were one of the lucky ones who enjoyed working for their superior, send that person a online or handwritten thank you note before you begin retirement. Here are 10 top-level examples:

1. “Working for you was an absolute pleasure! If only I could say the same about my previous bosses…”
2. “I can honestly say that, without you, I wouldn’t have achieved as much in my career. Thank you!”
3. “You taught me [insert skill or trait]. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
4. “You weren’t just my boss, you were my mentor. Thanks for all the wisdom you shared with me.”
5. “Thank you for your steady leadership. You made my time at this company more enjoyable.”
6. “Thanks for always believing in me. Your support meant more than you’ll ever know.”
7. “I’m off to greener pastures, but I’ll take your lessons with me. Thanks so much!”
8. “Amazing bosses like you kinda make me sad to retire—but only kinda…
9. “The company—and my career—improved because of you. Thanks for everything!”
10. “You’re a legend. Give my warm regards to your family.”

Tips for Writing Retirement Thank You Notes

These thank you note ideas will get you started when responding to any retirement message. But you’ll probably need to customize them to fit your exact circumstances. You might even want to write a few thank you’s from scratch.

Whatever the case may be, these five tips will help you craft better thank you notes:

Be Authentic

Authenticity is so important—especially when writing a retirement thank you card.

Don’t lie to people to “make them feel good.” Your recipients will know you’re being insincere. Instead, simply thank them for the things they actually did.

For example, you might not have a ton of great memories with Coworker XYZ. But the fact that they attended your out-of-office retirement party instead of watching Netflix is commendable. Incorporate that feeling into your thank you wish to make a strong impression.

Express Gratitude

This goes without saying, but we’re going to say it anyway: if you don’t express gratitude in your thank you notes, you’re doing it wrong. Fortunately, gratitude is really easy to express.

Think about the retirement card, gift, or party you received. It probably made you feel special, right? Of course it did! Your colleagues and/or friends and family members didn’t have to get you anything. They did it because they care about you and wanted to celebrate your accomplishments.

When you think about it like that, you’ll probably be brimming with gratitude. Now all you have to do is write about those feelings. Phrases like “thank you so much” and “forever grateful” tend to work well.

Make it Personal

Be sure to personalize your thank you message to the recipient, including important details. Most people would rather receive the first thank you note because it’s personalized. And personalized notes are way more meaningful than generic ones.

Which thank you note would you rather receive?

• “Thanks for the framed picture! It’s the perfect retirement gift and I can’t wait to hang it on the wall in my house. That way, every time I walk by, I’ll see it and remember the lattes we shared in the break room. That coffeemaker was a piece of junk, but I’ll always cherish those memories.”
• “Thanks for the picture. We had some good times. Stay in touch!”

The first, of course. So, don’t just thank people for the specific gift they gave you. Add a personal touch so they know that your message comes straight from the heart.

Keep it Short

Your thank you note doesn’t have to be long. In fact, you should make it short and sweet.

Tell your colleagues, friends, and/or family members that you appreciate the card or gift they gave you. Tell them you’re excited about the possibilities ahead, if you wish. Then sign off.

As long as your message is authentic, expresses gratitude, and is personalized you don’t need to drone on and on. You’re not writing a novel; you’re simply showing your appreciation. 

Include Contact Details

We know you’re excited to live the retirement life. You’ll finally have time to play golf, visit your grandkids, travel to Europe—and do all those other things you’ve always wanted to do.

But you might start missing your colleagues, too. After all, you spent a lot of time with these people and got to know them on a personal level. It would be a shame if they suddenly disappeared from your life.

Don’t let this happen. Include your phone number, email address, etc. in your thank you notes. That way your colleagues can reach out to you if they ever need something or want to shoot the breeze.

Celebrate Your Retirement With a Kudoboard

Your retirement is an amazing accomplishment. The people in your life will likely want to celebrate by giving you a retirement card, retirement gifts, or even a retirement party. It’s completely natural.

In return, you should thank them for their generosity. If your colleagues sent retirement quotes with Kudoboard, simply respond to the email prompt to offer your thanks. Type your message in the box, and easily send a heartfelt message to every contributor.

If you’e looking to send thank you’s from a group, create a new board, collect contributions from colleagues, bosses, friends, family, or whoever else. You can even add images and GIFs to make your custom thank you messages even more memorable. Send the eCard in a click, then start the next chapter of your life.