POWAY -- While his fellow council members struggled to find a fitting way to thank him for 28 years of service, Poway City Councilman Bob Emery was stoic through the start of his last meeting Tuesday night.

"I'm going to get mushy, so I'm going to make it quick," said Councilwoman Merrilee Boyack, who went on to describe Emery as a guardian of the city.

On a personal note, Boyack thanked Emery for making Poway "a great place" to raise her family.

Emery was elected to the council in 1980 on the same ballot that incorporated Poway as a city. The last remaining original council member, Emery decided to voluntarily break his streak of re-elections this year and retire.

In the weeks leading to his last council meeting, Emery was publically praised as a key player in maintaining Poway's high quality of life by pacing growth and keeping the city-in-the-country feel to the community.

Councilman Don Higginson said he remembered Emery for the little things he would do, such as giving fellow council members a jar of his homemade salsa for Christmas each year. Higginson also noted that Emery's wife, Suzanne, always created the city's Christmas cards.

"I'm very interested to see what will be the first item on the agenda that brings you to the dais," Higginson said, expecting to see Emery return to the council chambers one day.

Councilwoman Betty Rexford said she and Emery "almost came to blows" over some issues, but always made up. In an anecdote she said demonstrated the spirit of the council, Rexford recalled the city's efforts to save an old, dying oak tree.

When it was clear the tree couldn't be saved, she said Emery and others held a party for it, recited poems and later saw that the tree would be made into furnishings and other items so future generations would appreciate it as well.

Mayor Mickey Cafagna said he could have had an adversarial relationship with Emery because he was a real estate developer when elected in 1992, and Emery was a slow-growth advocate, but the two never had a cross word between them because they both want what's best for the city.

Emery, whose voice was a bit shaky, had only a few departing words before reliquishing his seat to newly elected Councilman Jim Cunningham, who was sworn in that night.

"Jim, you're going to be working with a very dedicated group," Emery said.

Reserving his final words to everyone in the room, Emery closed his era on the council saying, "I really consider Poway my family, so thank you very much."

Contact staff writer Gary Warth at (760) 740-5410 or gwarth@nctimes.com.