The retirement of Tom Guter has left two positions open for the town of Scarborough: director of human resources and master of ceremonies for town government events.

After nine years of committed service and corny jokes, Guter is retiring to Fort Collins, Colo., with his wife, Karen, who retired from her position as librarian for the Yarmouth school district in June. The couple plans to spend their days hiking, backpacking and camping, Guter said, “while our knees can still do it.”

Guter, 56, grew up in New Jersey, and moved to Orono to attend the University of Maine, where he met his wife, an Auburn native. Together, they have lived in North Yarmouth for 26 years. They were attracted to Colorado because there are “lots of big mountains,” Guter said.

While Guter is excited about his retirement, leaving his position in Scarborough is bittersweet.

“Sometimes people are fortunate enough to find a job that really fits nicely with who they are,” Guter said. He was one of them. “The match was just right,” he said.

On Friday, Feb. 9, a luncheon was held in town hall to bid farewell to Guter. Town Manager Ron Owens said it was the first time town hall employees filled up the council chambers – a testament to Guter’s popularity among his colleagues.

“Everybody feels comfortable talking to Tom,” Owens said, “whether it’s the employee out in the street or the department head.”

Director of Public Works Mike Shaw called Guter “a gentleman and a professional” and said his departure would be “a definite loss to the town.”

Both Shaw and Owens said Guter’s legacy would be difficult to fill, but Owens is optimistic about the employee hired as the new director of human resources, Brian Smith. For the past year, Smith has worked as director of human resources for South Portland.

“He’ll be helpful to us and fit right in,” Owens said.

During the hiring process, all applicants were asked to tell a joke at the end of their interview to see if they’d be able to take on Guter’s hosting duties as well. Owens said there were a few memorable responses, but it will be hard to replicate what Shaw called Guter’s “unique sense of humor.”

Though his co-workers feel honored to have worked with Guter, he feels the same about working with them.

“This is a special place,” he said. “I feel privileged to have been a part of this organization.”