With an overcast sky threatening the crowd at Elfstrom Stadium for the Kane County Cougars game Tuesday evening, all eyes went to Stephen Persinger as he stepped up for the pitch.

The pitch, a wild one, came short of home plate and drew an “ohh” from the crowd, but was not chalked up as an error on the scoreboard.

“I did a lousy job,” Persinger said with a laugh and a rub of his shoulder, which was operated on for a rotator cuff injury last year.

It was all in good fun for Persinger, who was celebrating his last day as executive director of the Geneva Park District. Persinger had about 300 of his co-workers and Geneva residents there to say goodbye on his final night.

Persinger racked up 30 years as the head of the Geneva Park District and built up an impressive resume during his work with parks, recreation centers and programs. He and his wife, Sheila, will now get to enjoy the fruits of his labor from outside of the office.

“It’s time for a new life, a new chapter of my life,” Persinger said. “I’ll miss it. It was fun; we work in a fun field.”

According to Persinger, he will spend his post-retirement days traveling, working part time as a consultant and he might continue to work with the Geneva Park District as a volunteer.

While Persinger has mixed emotions about leaving, he said he’s happy to be able to leave on such good terms and be able to stay in Geneva to enjoy what he’s created.

“I said goodbye to the staff and walked out the door,” Persinger said.

Persinger said he’ll miss the fun aspects of the job and the people he worked with, but believes that new Executive Director Sheavoun Lambillotte will do well for the community.

“It’s tough (to lose him), but he made it quick,” Lambillotte said. “I’m not good with long goodbyes.

“There were mixed emotions. He’s really excited about his plans, but it (can’t be) easy stepping out of a place he’s been for 30 years,” Lambillotte said.

Sheila Persinger said she isn’t sad at all to see him leaving his position, but instead happy he can step back and enjoy what he has accomplished.

“He made the Park District what it is today,” she said. “He touched so many people’s lives.”

Geneva Park District Commissioner Peggy Condon said Persinger and his wife had a great send-off during his last month in office.

“It’s amazing,” Condon said, “He had a large vision of what he wanted to see in the Park District. Nothing he wanted to do didn’t get accomplished.

“He’s just a phenomenal businessman,” Condon said. “To be able to serve on a board with Steve has been a learning experience.”

Condon said although Persinger is leaving, he is leaving behind a staff of people he hired himself and has been giving advice to and leading for years.

“It’s such a legacy for a community,” Condon said.

Rebecca Howat, a Geneva resident since 1976, was at the game with the Park District to watch her daughter dance before the game. She said she believes Persinger’s legacy is going to live on, and she doesn’t see many changes coming.

“People are happy with the Park District the way it is,” Howat said. “As much as I look at my tax bills, I wouldn’t live anywhere else. (He made it) a great park district.”