Elk Grove business owner gave people money and said 'pay it forward'

Sometimes when Erin Boomer was paying the bills, she couldn't figure out why the checkbook balance was low.

It turned out her husband, Frank, had dipped into the money to help out somebody who was behind on their mortgage or medical bills. She estimated that perhaps 20 times, he provided people with as much as $2,500 to get back on their feet.

When they tried to pay him back, he'd always turn them down, saying, "Pay it forward. Someday you're going to meet somebody who needs help."

"Money meant nothing to this man," said his wife. "He could have had summer homes, fancy cars, but it didn't matter to him. He was awesome."

Boomer, of Bensenville, died Tuesday at Elmhurst Hospital of complications from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He was 59.

He knew he never wanted to go to college, so he took printing classes at Amundsen High School and used his skills to buy Duo Graphic Service about 35 years ago in Elk Grove Village.

• This report was produced in partnership with the Chicago Sun-Times. For related coverage, check chicago.suntimes.com.