Hard Work Always Pays Off
Story By: Stone Quinn
Photos By: Stone Quinn & Westin Winter
J.T. Stone Quinn stands outside his Grand Junction home, after just getting off of work, with nothing but a smile on his face. (Stone Quinn April 10th, 2025)
Going from a six-figure salary to minimum wage in a matter of days is enough to break most people. But for J.T. Stone Quinn, it wasn’t the end—it was the beginning of a new journey.
Quinn, a longtime Grand Junction resident, spent a decade working in the oil fields before a wave of layoffs in 2014 left him suddenly without a job. With bills to pay and no time to spare, he took the first opportunity that came his way: a Housekeeping Aid at the Grand Junction VA Medical Center.
“Having served in the United States Marine Corps,” said Quinn, “I thought the VA would be a good choice, as it was a chance to serve my country again.”
As a Housekeeping Aid, Quinn climbed and worked his way from lead housekeeper to supervisor, and now serves as Assistant Chief of Environmental Management Services. Every step up was earned through a relentless work ethic and a willingness to take on the jobs nobody else wanted.
Hard Work Pays Off
“Basic housekeeping, it’s cleaning and disinfecting the hospital; bathrooms, patient rooms, cleaning up blood, vomit, urine, and feces,” Quinn said.
Quinn doesn’t sugarcoat what his job entails. It’s tough, often unpleasant work that most would shy away from. Many in these industries don’t get enough credit for what they do, but their work serves to help the community. These are the unsung heroes who take the unglamorous path and never complain.
“And you know, I’m not gonna complain,” Quinn said. “I’m gonna do the best I can do. And sometimes, the nastier the job, the more I wanted to do it. ”
The Grand Junction VA Medical Center sits on 2121 North Ave, waiting to help any veteran who needs it. (Westin Winter, April 10, 2025)
For Quinn, that sense of pride comes from within. He’s not chasing validation. He’s chasing the satisfaction of a job well done.
“Everything I do, I won’t be the best,” he said. “But I do the best I can. It’s hard to explain, but that’s work ethic. That’s what being a man is about—doing your best, no matter what it is. I’d only be ashamed if I were a housekeeper and did a bad job.”
It’s this mindset, the mindset that no task or job is beneath him, that gained him the reputation and status of a hard worker.
His Daughter, Jacinth Quinn, who works at the VA, can attest to her father’s work ethic
“He is one of, if not the hardest, workers I have ever met. He will literally do anything and goes above and beyond when it comes to his work.”
More Than Cleaning
In today’s medical environment, housekeeping is essential to infection prevention, patient safety, and overall health care.
“We’re not just housekeepers anymore,” Quinn said. “We’re environmental technicians. There’s a lot of chemistry and biology to know—understanding certain viruses when we go in a room.When we go into a room, we can be dealing with any number of harmful bacteria and viruses like Cdiff, Influenza, Hepatitis … you’ve got to know how to treat those rooms. Not just make it look clean—but truly disinfect it.”
Their work is a frontline defense against infection. More than that, it sets a tone. A sparkling hospital room says something to a patient, that they’re cared for. That this is a place of healing, not just treatment.
“When a patient walks into a clean space, it’s obvious,” Quinn said. “They see it and go, ‘Wow, these people care about their environment. That must mean they’ll care about me, too.’”
A sign sits on the corner of the VA Medical Center, displaying “April is Volunteer Appreciation Month”. (Westin Winter, April 10th, 2025)
That connection between physical space and mental outlook is powerful. Cleanliness isn’t just about killing germs, but it’s about restoring dignity, offering comfort, and in some small way, offering hope.
Now, nearly a decade since he first stepped through the doors of the VA, Quinn hasn’t let his title change his attitude. He still gets his hands just as dirty as he did when he first joined.
“I practice what I preach, still to this day,” he said. “And I don’t ask anybody to do anything I won’t do myself.”
J.T. Quinn’s story reminds us that dignity doesn’t come from titles or paychecks, but it comes from showing up, doing the hard work, and leading by example. In a world that often overlooks the people who keep it running, he stands as a quiet but powerful symbol of hard work.
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