Kane County's most senior courtroom bailiff retired in style Friday, surrounded by friends and colleagues on his 90th birthday.

It was a bittersweet occasion for those who have worked with Alfred "Red" LeFeber the last 18 years. They said his good nature and ability to maintain order in the courtroom are unmatched.

"He's been an inspiration to everyone in the courthouse," Associate Judge Robert Janes said. "He puts people at ease when they come into the courtroom and maintains order with a friendly face. He's the best."

LeFeber, who lives in Geneva, moved to the area in 1971 as a Wall Street investment banker. He had gone to high school in Cincinnati and spent 28 months overseas flying bomber planes in World War II before earning a law degree at Ohio State University, then serving in Japan. In college, he said, he worked for U.S. Sen. Robert Taft.

"Every time the rent came due, they moved me," he joked.

After a successful career in banking, LeFeber still wanted to work. He went looking for a job in the 16th Judicial Circuit in 1991 because "nobody else would hire anybody over 65," he said.

It didn't take long for LeFeber and others to figure out he was a fit for the courtroom. Known for his quick wit and kindness, he would go on to assist countless judges in courts across Kane County.

Chief Judge F. Keith Brown, who had LeFeber as a bailiff in 1992, recalled how LeFeber always would be waiting with the judge's robe draped across his arm when Brown arrived for the morning call.

"He insisted on putting the robe on you," Brown said.

LeFeber, who is beyond proud of his Ohio heritage and always carries a buckeye in his pocket, said he enjoyed his job and especially the "very, very kind, wonderful people - even if they're not from Ohio."

"Life's been kind to me," he said.