Stranger reunites pen with former Schaumburg H.S. athletic director

A stranger’s good-heartedness and extra effort has reunited retired Schaumburg High School Athletic Director John Selke with a personalized pen of great sentimental — not to mention monetary — value.

He’d received the Montblanc pen, with his name engraved on it, from three women he’d mentored as members of the Schaumburg-Hoffman Estates P.M. Rotary Club when he stepped down as president of the organization in 1990.

About four months ago, Selke’s wife, Carmen, used the pen to sign her credit card bill after dining with her daughter at Sushi Ya restaurant in Schaumburg. She accidentally left the pen there, but by the time she realized it was lost, had no idea where it might be.

Carmen said she spent nearly two months feverishly searching the house for the pen, hoping she’d find it before John asked for it back.

Then, about a month ago, a man named Troy Bravenboer also visited Sushi Ya and used a pen to sign his bill. The Florida resident is in the Northwest suburbs for the summer doing work with his contractor company.

After signing the bill, Bravenboer thought he’d accidentally handed his own pen to the waitress. She directed him to a container of pens by the cash register to look for it.

While he realized he hadn’t given up his own pen after all, he did see an approximately $300 Montblanc pen similar to the kind he’d been considering buying for a while.

Bravenboer asked about the pen and whether he could have it. The restaurant staff assured him it was no problem.

During the next week, he spotted the name “John Selke” engraved on the pen and knew that could be someone who was missing it.

Bravenboer did a Google search to see how quickly he could find the right John Selke. He found a reference to Selke as former Schaumburg High athletic director, and even a YouTube video of Selke’s May 2009 induction into the Illinois Athletic Directors Association Hall of Fame.

Bravenboer reached out to the high school, which was able to contact John by email. He got the news that the pen was both lost and found simultaneously and shared it with the very relieved Carmen.

They called Bravenboer and made arrangements to meet at Whole Foods in Schaumburg last Sunday while they were all out doing errands.

“When I saw him, I almost started to cry because I thought, ‘Oh, what a nice kid!’” Carmen said.

The grocery store was a strange backdrop for the emotional moment, but the pen is now back safe and sound with its rightful owner.