Phillip Owens spent six years in the U.S. Army, serving in the Vietnam War before becoming a police officer, firefighter and fire marshal in Kentucky. After taking a job in Minnesota’s capital city, he never lost his trademark military flattop, even as the dark hairs turned white over the course of some 29 years inspecting homes and business throughout St. Paul.

Owens joined the St. Paul Fire Department as a fire prevention inspector in 1988, and retires from the city’s Department of Safety and Inspections this month as fire safety manager.

In a written proclamation shared with him last month, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman pronounced Dec. 29 to be Phillip J. Owens Day in the city of St. Paul.

Owens isn’t the only public employee bidding goodbye to St. Paul or Ramsey County after decades in the trenches of government service.

Recent retirements and departures have run a wide gamut, from longtime parks planner Jody Martinez — a lead designer of Harriet Island Regional Park and Mississippi River Boulevard — to St. Paul District Fire Chief Dino Guerin, St. Paul Police Chief Tom Smith and Ramsey County Sheriff Matt Bostrom, who left office Jan. 3 to pursue a doctorate at the University of Oxford in England.

Here’s a rundown — by no means exhaustive — of public servants who are calling it quits in 2016 or early 2017. Several have already flunked retirement and said they will return to work part time or move on to new projects.

Don Luna, the outgoing civilian coordinator of the Police-Civilian Internal Affairs Review Commission, has held any number of roles with the city, but he’s perhaps better known as a neighborhood advocate. Over the years, Luna has served as a board member with Neighborhood House on Robie Street and president of the West Side Citizens Organization.

Rina McManus, former director of St. Paul-Ramsey County Public Health, helped lead the department to national accreditation in 2016 before her retirement in November. Her five years with the county capped a long career in state and local government advocating for maternal and child health.

Gerald “Jerry” Hendrickson joined the St. Paul city attorney’s office as a law clerk in 1974. Hendrickson, a Lowertown resident, retired in September after 42 years with the city, though he promised to return part time.

Tonya Tennessen became the official spokesperson for the mayor’s office in April 2014. Tennessen left city employment on Dec. 30 to join Minneapolis Public Schools as media liaison on Jan. 17. She held similar roles for Gov. Mark Dayton when he was a U.S. senator and for the offices of the state Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. “So excited to jump in!” she said last month.

Also retiring Dec. 30 was Readus Fletcher, deputy director of the St. Paul Department of Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity. Fletcher spent 42 years working under five St. Paul mayors, and served a stint as legislative aide to Bill Wilson, the city’s first African-American city council member. The council declared Dec. 15 to be Readus Fletcher Day in the city of St. Paul.

Kathy Kapoun joined Ramsey County as an entry-level budget analyst 20 years ago and rose through the ranks to retire in October as deputy finance director. She “knows more about public finance than just about anyone,” said county spokesman John Siqveland, who noted that the county credit rating reached top status and Ramsey County moved to biennial budgeting during her tenure.

Kapoun, who still works for the county about three times per week as part of a phased retirement program, now handles special projects instead of running point on two-year budgets. When it comes to the intricacies of public accounting, “you no longer have to,” she said. “Now, you get to do it for the pure joy of it.”

Jan Homan joined Metro Transit as a cleaner, sweeping buses for $4.28 an hour in December 1975. Homan, a mechanic by training, retired from Metro Transit this year as deputy director of bus operations for one of the largest public transit bus fleets in the nation.

Also within the Metropolitan Council, civil engineer Arlene McCarthy retired this summer as the director of Metropolitan Transportation Services. McCarthy spent 30 years in the Environmental Services division, Metro Transit, and ultimately MTS, where she was one of the few women in her field for many years.

Kathy Henderson, a program assistant in Ramsey County Human Resources’ Office of Diversity and Organizational Development, spent 26 years as a news assistant at the St. Paul Pioneer Press before joining the county eight years ago. She served as the HR department’s liaison to a variety of county committees, including Black History Month, Charitable Giving and the annual Employee Achievement Awards program.

St. Paul Parks and Recreation said goodbye this May to Martinez, whose architectural savvy over the course of 37 years with the city touched everything from Harriet Island and Lilydale Regional Park to Pig’s Eye. Longtime Parks and Rec workers who have retired this year include Highland National Golf Course Superintendent Denise Kispert, community recreation director Fernando Fuentes, community recreation director Bill McCann, information technology support specialist Jon Schletz, arborist John Pfluger, urban forester Chris Boche and grounds crew leader Terri Timmons.

Another IT customer service specialist, Kelli Kustrich, retired after 35 years with the city.

St. Paul’s Office of Financial Services recently said goodbye to accounting clerk Jacqueline “Jackie” Michaud, who passed away shortly after her retirement following a battle with ovarian cancer. The day after her death, 27 co-workers, including the department director, wore teal-colored clothing (the color of ovarian cancer awareness) and posed for a group photo outside City Hall. Also leaving the office after 30 years last month was office assistant Kim Ranweiler. The St. Paul City Council approved designating Ranweiler’s customized, 12-year-old office chair as surplus property and selling it to her for $1.

Planning and Economic Development is losing program administrator Amy Filice, who joined the city in 1990. Filice’s responsibilities over the decades included overseeing the creation and management of the city’s Cultural STAR grant program, which is funded by the city’s half-cent sales tax. The program distributes $1.8 million annually to approximately 60 arts and cultural organizations.

Former St. Paul Port Authority President Louis Jambois retired in March. Tom Smith, the former police chief, stepped down in May.

Mark Wiegel, a former St. Paul police officer who became an inspector with the Ramsey County sheriff’s office five years ago, retired this year after 32 years in law enforcement. Wiegel’s career included eight years on the board of the St. Paul Police Federation, five years as vice president of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association and four years as president of the Emerald Society of Minnesota, which supports police-related and Irish charities. He remains the Emerald Society’s liaison to the Minnesota Police Pipe Band. “We make sure that pipe band is there for any line-of-duty deaths, and that’s what I’m most proud of, because I helped set that whole thing up,” Wiegel said.

Guerin, a firefighter for 31 years, served on the St. Paul City Council in the mid-1990s and later on the Ramsey County Board before stepping down after his gambling addiction came to light. He ran unsuccessfully for state senator on a platform of abolishing the Minnesota House, and later served as president of St. Paul’s Fire Supervisory Association, Local 3939, which represents the fire chiefs. He said he plans to remain active behind the scenes in local politics, including the 2017 mayor’s race, where he hopes to back a centrist or conservative candidate.

“If you work and live in the community that you serve, it’s a good ride,” Guerin said. “St. Paul citizens have been good to me. They put food on my table and paid my mortgage. Being a St. Paul firefighter, the pay is good, the work is good, and people treat us well.”

The Local 21 website reveals that fellow District Fire Chief Floyd LeCuyer wore his handlebar mustache well when he joined the St. Paul Fire Department 41 years ago. He was the department’s most senior member when he retired in November.

Last but not least, Peter Pearson has spent 25 years advocating for public libraries. He stepped down last month as president of the Friends of the St. Paul Public Library.

Mara H. Gottfried contributed to this report.