Elinor Richoz, 90, receives Image Award for making Elgin 'more special'
Ninety-year-old Elinor Richoz calls Elgin's local 1410 AM radio station almost every day at 6:55 a.m. to wish people she knows a happy birthday or anniversary.
It's because of those small, every day kindnesses accumulated over a lifetime, along with her civic engagement and involvement the community, that the lifelong Elgin resident was honored Thursday with a citizenship award by the city of Elgin.
"Some people make Elgin more special just by being in it, and that's how I would describe Elinor," said resident George Rawlinson, who wrote Richoz's award nomination. "This woman is 90 years old and she has enough energy and enthusiasm to light up an entire city block."
Richoz received a standing ovation in the Heritage Ballroom of The Centre of Elgin during the yearly Image Awards ceremony. She came with a posse of nearly 50 relatives and friends, not surprising given that her 90th birthday bash in November at American Legion Post 57 was attended by 200 people.
"I always tried to do as much as I can in Elgin," she said.
Other Image Award recipients are residents Charlene Sligting, Jeffery B. Small, Jerry Cook, Lisa LaForge, Pastor Mark Weinert and the Rev. Nathaniel Edmond, plus the Elgin Young Professionals Network, the Gail Borden Public Library's Food for Fines, the Elgin Fringe Festival, Nightmare on Chicago Street, NHS of the Fox Valley's Neighborhood Works Day, the Wing Mansion's History Wall and Judson University's World Leaders Forum.
A regular at city council meetings and election forums, Richoz is a member of the police department's citizens advisory committee and a graduate of the senior citizens police academy, and is known for always bringing cookies to the monthly police chief's meetings.
As a board member for the Blackhawk Homeowners Association, "she's the 'go to lady' for all neighbors with questions or concerns," Rawlinson said. She always thinks of others, like when she got $10 Christmas gift cards for fellow seniors who attend programs at Senior Services Associates, he said.
Plants are a big passion in her life, said Richoz, who raised two children and developed a green thumb while helping her parents run a greenhouse in the east side.
"I have a table full of orchid plants in my living room window," she said. "My porch has all of my daughter's hibiscus plants and there are two huge ferns out there. I have plants all winter long."
Richoz was on a committee that raised nearly $90,000 to build Veterans Memorial Park's waterfront addition, an effort that included reaching out to community organizations and selling "supporter pins" for $5. "It sure took a lot of $5 (pins) to get very far, but we did it," Richoz said.
She became involved in the park project alongside her husband, Art, a World War II veteran who passed away in 2008. "I knew that Art wouldn't be satisfied until it was complete," she said. "It was one of the prettiest things we did."
Her daughter drives her around during the winter, but Richoz - who uses a walker - said she fully expects her own driver's license to get renewed in October.
Being involved in the community is, well, simply what everyone should do, she said. "To me, it's just part of living here," she said. "If you don't want to get involved, I guess that's your tough luck."