Former Carpentersville police chief dies at 86

During his time as Carpentersville police chief, Jim Klinkhamer could be found in his office on Saturday morning, a line of people waiting outside to talk with him.

"He always taught me to treat people the way you wanted to be treated," said his oldest son, Dan, comparing the meetings with the public to modern-day "coffee with the mayor."

After years of heart complications, Klinkhamer died Wednesday morning. He was 86.

Dan said his father was the third police officer to join the department, around 1957. He stayed for 23 years, the last 18 as police chief.

When Klinkhamer moved to Carpentersville from the South Side of Chicago, his son said, it was a "blue-collar town," and "he was always one of those kind of people."

"He might have been the police chief, but he was one of the guys," Dan Klinkhamer said. "He identified with those people."

Dan Klinkhamer followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a police officer for St. Charles.

John Skillman, who served as assistant police chief when Jim Klinkhamer was chief, said the two became fast friends after he joined the police department in 1958.

Skillman distinctly remembers Klinkhamer's idea to show up unannounced to a Dundee-Crown High School pep rally before a football game against the Elmwood Park Tigers.

Klinkhamer ran into the auditorium carrying a large stuffed tiger as Skillman followed with a sign that said, "We're going to beat those tigers."

"The kids really loved that. We got a lot of compliments," Skillman said, laughing. "He was always open to people. He made himself available whenever necessary."

After Klinkhamer retired and Skillman became police chief, they would still go out to lunch and get together often, Skillman said. When Skillman's wife passed away, he added, Klinkhamer was right by his side.

"He was a great guy," he said. "He was always there for me. He helped me with everything."

Jim Klinkhamer served in the Marines at the end of World War II and in the Korean War before joining the Carpentersville Police Department.

After his retirement, Klinkhamer stayed active as chairman of the Kane County sheriff's office's merit commission for 24 years. He also handled security at the Palumbo gravel pits in East Dundee.

In his free time, Klinkhamer enjoyed fishing and traveling, especially to Florida in the winter. Most recently he lived in Hampshire with his wife of 66 years, Dolores.

Klinkhamer was preceded in death by his second son, Steven, who was killed by a drunken driver in 2001. Aside from Dan and his wife, Sue, he is survived by a third son, Jim, nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

The visitation is 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Miller Funeral Home, 504 W. Main St., West Dundee. A funeral service with military honors is 11 a.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be private at Dundee Township Cemetery East in East Dundee.