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Inspiring, Short and Funny Happy Retirement Quotes, Wishes and Messages

Retirement is a big life milestone, so if you are looking for the perfect way to congratulate someone, we have put together a list of all the best retirement quotes and wishes for your next post. And if you’re looking for funny retirement messages to amuse, we also have you covered.

Now go ahead and browse through to find your favorite.

Happy Retirement Quotes

“There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.” – Robert Woodruff

“To be idle is sometimes an excellent way of being busy.” – Thomas Carlyle

“Retirement, a time to do what you want to do, when you want to do it, where you want to do it and how you want to do it,” – Catherine Pulsifer

“Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.” – Fred Rogers

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” – Steve Jobs

inspiring retirement quote from Harry Emerson Fosdick with the happy family.

“There’s never enough time to do all the nothing you want.” – Bill Waterson, Calvin & Hobbes

“Something pretty…that’s just the surface. People worry so much about aging, but you look younger if you don’t worry about it.” – Jeanne Moreau

Short retirement quotes

“You have to put off being young until you can retire.”-Author Unknown

“Retirement is wonderful if you have two essentials – much to live on and much to live for.” – Author Unknown

“You’ve got to keep willing to have your own dreams come true.” – Leonard Nimoy

“You don’t stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stopped laughing.” – Michael Pritchard

“Don’t simply retire from something; have something to retire to.” – Harry Emerson Fosdick

“Age is only a number, a cipher for the records. A man can’t retire his experience. He must use it. Experience achieves more with less energy and time.” – Bernard Baruch

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” – Robert Frost

“Retire from work, but not from life.” – M.K. Soni

“Life is a combination of magic and pasta.” – Federico Fellini

“Retirement’s the most wonderful thing. I get to enjoy all the things I never stopped to notice on the way up. After an extraordinary life, it’s time to enjoy my retirement.” – Patrick Macnee

“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean

“If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.” – Albert Einstein

inspiring retirement quotes

“Life is your artwork. Create it! No one else can do it for you. You create it by seeing life, and living it to its fullest.” – Max Ehrmann

“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.” – Samuel Beckett

“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.” – William Feather

“Retirement is more fun than work, and you never have to make excuses.” – Unknown

“The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.” – Unknown

“The trouble with retirement is that you never get a day off.” – Abe Lemons

“And in that time of tranquility, he found many things which were good and many more which were not.” – Buddha

“The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.” – Oprah Winfrey

Funny retirement quotes

“There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.” – Sophia Loren

“For retirement brings repose, and repose allows a kindly judgment of all things.” – John Sharp Williams

“Working people have a lot of bad habits, but the worst of these is work.” – Clarence Darrow

“It is better to live rich than to die rich.” – Samuel Johnson

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.” – Vince Lombardi

“You can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps.” – Sir Edmund Hillary

“Retirement is the only time in your life when time no longer equals money.” – Unknown

“The joy of retirement comes in those everyday pursuits that embrace the joy of life; to experience daily the freedom to invest one’s life-long knowledge for the betterment of others; and, to allocate time to pursuits that only received, in years of working, a fleeting moment.” – Byron Pulsifer

“You don’t stop laughing when you grow old, you grow old when you stop laughing.” – George Bernard Shaw

inspiring retirement quote from Gene Perret with the happy couple

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The best way out is always through.” – Robert Frost

“Don’t act your age in retirement. Act like the inner young person you have always been.” – J. A. West

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius

“Retirement is not the end of the road. It is the beginning of the open highway.”  – Author Unknown

“Retirement is like a long vacation in Las Vegas. The goal is to enjoy it the fullest, but not so fully that you run out of money.” – Jonathan Clements

“The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.” – Vince Lombardi

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. So does falling in love and so does running away from home.” – Chinese proverb

Couple on beach with short funny quotes for getting older by Quillen

“Living each day as if it were your last doesn’t mean your last day of retirement on a remote island. It means to live fully, authentically, and spontaneously with nothing being held back.” – Jack Canfield

“The greatest gift you can give to others is the gift of unconditional love and acceptance.” – Brian Tracy

“Retirement: That’s when you return from work one day and say, “Hi, Honey, I’m home — forever.” – Gene Perret

“Retirement: That’s when you return from work one day and say, “Hi, Honey, I’m home — forever.” – Gene Perret

“Retirement is wonderful. It’s doing nothing without worrying about getting caught at it.” – Gene Perret

“As your life changes, it takes time to recalibrate, to find your values again. You might also find that retirement is the time when you stretch out and find your potential.” – Sid Miramontes, Retirement: Your New Beginning

“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” – Mark Twain

“A retired husband is often a wife’s full-time job.” – Ella Harris

“I found out retirement means playing golf, or I don’t know what the hell it means. But to me, retirement means doing what you have fun doing.” – Dick Van Dyke

“Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.” – Fred Rogers

“Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.” – Will Rogers

“The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

“A thriving new beginning can be and should be a time for amazing engagement, growth, connections, contributions, and amazing possibilities.” – Lee M. Brower

Person on swing with funny growing old quotes by Davis

“What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“We work all our lives so we can retire – so we can do what we want with our time – and the way we define or spend our time defines who we are and what we value.” – Bruce Linton, Fatherhood: The Journey from Man to Dad

“For many, retirement is a time for personal growth, which becomes the path to greater freedom.” – Robert Delamontague

“The best time to start thinking about your retirement is before the boss does.” – Author Unknown

If you like these, you might also want to check out our other lists of Farewell Messages for Colleagues, Funny Work Quotes, Inspirational Quotes for Work, Funny Farewell Messages, Moving On Quotes and Saying Goodbye Quotes.

Retirement Wishes

What we leave behind isn’t nearly as important as what lies ahead. The best of luck to you on your next chapter.

The amount of good luck coming your way is absolutely ridiculous! Now, go enjoy it.

How do you tell the difference between a boss, a leader and a friend? When it comes to you, there isn’t one.

It’s with the sincerest appreciation that I wish you the best of luck and thank you for all you’ve done for me. I hope you can kick back and enjoy the reward of a job well done.

May the years ahead be filled with new endeavors and happy adventures.

Short retirement wishes

You set the standard for the rest of us, and it won’t be the same without you.

So long, farewell, I hate to see you go. Bidding you a fond adieu and happy retirement.

Moving forward and moving on! Best wishes on a brand-new beginning.

Retirement isn’t goodbye. It’s a fond farewell and wishes for a wonderful future ahead.

When it comes to employees, you’ve simply been the best. Thank you for your time and dedication. Good luck on your retirement.

To a boss that’s hard to beat, we wish you all the best that retirement has to offer.

Coworkers by chance, friends by choice. I’ll miss you.

Caution: Retirement ahead.

Congratulations and best wishes to a true professional. There’s nobody better than you!

Happiness is knowing that you’ve achieved your goals and because of you, the world’s a better place. Or, at the very least, our place is. You will be so missed.

There are no ends or beginnings, just transitions that take us where we’re meant to go next. Happy journey, happy everything.

When I think about what success means, I think of you. Congratulations.

Short retirement messages

I’d wish you good luck, but you aren’t going to need it because everything you are comes from hard work and not a horseshoe.  You’re going to be amazing.

Thank you for all you’ve brought to this job, but more than that, thank you for being you. Things just aren’t going to be the same without you.

In these last years, you set the standard for loyalty, kindness and character. No one will ever be able to take your place.

In my eyes, you were successful not only at your job, but at winning over my heart. I can’t wait to spend more time together in your next chapter.

Some people come into our lives for a reason. Without you, I might never have known the true meaning of happy hour.

All good things must come to an end even when we wish they wouldn’t. Thank you for everything.

You brought joy when you came and are leave happiness in your wake. Best wishes and thank you.

If success is dependent on determination, then you showed us all how it’s done. Wishing you the very best!

Happy retirement to a boss that’s a tough act to follow.

Thank you for giving 100% all the time. Your hard work has made all the difference.

funny retirement wishes

The best things in life aren’t things at all — they’re having someone like you for a boss. I consider myself so lucky.

I knew from the moment we met that we’d be more than just coworkers. I’ll miss you so much.

On your retirement, I want to let you know that it’s been a privilege to have you on my team. Happy retirement!

Caring about others and making an impact is exactly what you’ve done. You’ll be missed more than you know.

Your dedication and perseverance set the bar for the rest of us. You’ll be missed.

Success is the result of hard work and determination. Thank you for bringing both of those things (and more) to this role. Good luck to you.

How do you thank someone for so many years of hard work? Quite simply, thank you.

Life begins now. Enjoy every minute.

Your contributions and laughter are the legacy you leave behind. Things just won’t be the same without you.

Make new friends, but keep the old, working with you has been nothing but gold. Best of luck.

Success comes from knowing you did your best to be your best. It should feel good knowing that you were at the top of your game. Congratulations!

On your retirement, I wanted to let you know that there are great bosses and great people in this world. I’m so lucky that you are both.

Flower with new beginnings Instagram captions

You’re proof that it doesn’t take someone bossy to be a boss. Your calm reassurance and dedication will be missed more than you know. Congratulations!

Happy trails to you, my longtime friend. Wishing you clear skies and sunny weather ahead.

Best of luck to someone who clearly doesn’t need it! You’re on your way to bigger and better things.

Morning, noon and night, you were always here. What’ll we ever do without you? Good luck and take some well-deserved time just for you.

Now’s your time to shine! Congratulations on your retirement.

Congratulations to someone who made it all the way to the top — and made it look so easy. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Much like life, work is a journey. Now that this leg of the trip is over, I am so excited to see what comes next for you.

Because of you, we aimed higher, performed better and became the best version of ourselves. Thank you for all of that and more.

On your retirement, I want you to know that there’s no replacing the value, heart and soul you brought to this job each and every day. You’ll be missed more than know.

You’ve been a true inspiration and I hope the next stage of your life brings you all the peace and happiness you deserve.

Be proud of what you’ve accomplished, the person that you are and the difference you’ve made in the lives of those around you.

Sunrise iwth new beginnings captions for Instagram

First one in, last one out. Your dedication knows no bounds and your contributions will be sincerely missed.

Cheers to the next chapter

Wishing you discovery, relaxation and joy in the years ahead. Enjoy every minute!

Never underestimate how much one person can touch the lives of others. Happy retirement!

Seasons come and go, but your legacy is forever. Thank you and best wishes on the future.

You never had to aim for success — you hit the target every single time. And we’re all the better for it. Thank you.

When loyalty and dedication work together, expect a masterclass in success. And that’s exactly what you are. Congratulations.

Work isn’t a place. It’s where people like you make a difference in the lives of people like me. I couldn’t be more grateful.

There are bosses, then there’s you. I’m so grateful to have had you as a mentor, leader and role model. Happy retirement, you deserve it.

Things just won’t be the same without you. Good luck!

Funny Retirement Messages

Congratulations on achieving the greatest accomplishment possible: no longer working here. Happy retirement!

Keep calm and golf on. Good luck!

Now that you’re retiring, there will be one less person to lean on for support, one less smile to light up the morning, one less email to add to “reply all.” You sure you gotta go? It’s not going to be the same without you.

Friends don’t let friends retire without a good bottle of wine. Here’s a toast to you!

When one door closes, another opens at a vacation resort. Enjoy an umbrella drink on us!

Funny retirement messages

Retirement checklist: Wake up whenever you feel like it. Relax over a latte. See the world. Read a book. Walk by the ocean. Spend time with loved ones. Repeat.

Remember all the times you said, “Not my problem”? Now it’s official. Happy retirement!

The myth, the legend, the employee of the century. Your legacy lives on! Congratulations.

Now that you’re retired, every night is Friday night. Enjoy the celebration and go make some noise!

Just think, no one from IT is ever going to ask if you rebooted your computer again. Enjoy every single minute of it.

Here’s hoping that the next chapter finds your toes in the sand, palm trees swaying in the wind and a whole lotta pickleball. Go get ‘em!

You’re leaving behind some pretty big shoes to fill. Looks like we’re going to have to go shopping.

You set the bar so high that none of us can even reach our drinks. How will we ever survive without you?

You’re a rockstar in our eyes. Good luck on the next leg of your tour!

Hiker s with short captions about adventures

May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind always be at your back and may your RV never run out of gas. Happy travels!

This isn’t just goodbye. It’s who’s going to pick up the tab at the next happy hour? You’ll be missed.

Now that you’re retiring, there’s going to be one extra doughnut on the break table. I’ll fight to the death for it. You’ll be missed.

Farewell! Wishing you smooth sailing as you steer the ship into new waters.

Thanks for being my work therapist. Now I’m probably going to have to pay someone. Happy retirement.

Goodbye tension, hello pension! Let the fun begin!

You had me at “hello.” Best wishes and good luck on your retirement.

Wishing you the best of luck on the next episode of “What Happens Now?”

Good luck on the next chapter to a coworker who wrote the book.

Sunset with inspiring captions for Instagram

We couldn’t find enough words to thank you for being you, so we got you a gift card instead. Best of luck!

Remember all the times you texted me “WTF” during meetings? I thought it meant “Where’s the fries?” Now that you’re retiring, I thought you should know the truth.

There were a lot of meetings. A lot. Way too many. I only survived them because of you.

You came, you succeeded, you retired. Well done!

So that is it for our list of Retirement Quotes, Wishes and Messages. We hope you found the perfect one!

Woman holding up a clear chunk of ice on the beach

About the Author

Laynni Locke

I am Laynni Locke, a Canadian writer, reader and traveller with a passion for sharing life’s moments on social media. Keeping friends and family in the loop of our lives though photos and videos has become an essential activity for most.

And it doesn’t matter if you are travelling, celebrating a special occasion or just appreciating day-to-day life, when you take that perfect photo you are going to need the perfect caption or quote before you share it. Which is why we started Routinely Shares, providing comprehensive lists of quotes and captions to cover every occasion, adventure or loved one.

With extensive experience as a travel writer, social media specialist and grant writer, I have made it my mission to curate the best and easiest to use lists for your next post.

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