Former Palatine village president Guss dies

Former Palatine Village President Robert J. Guss Jr. died of natural causes in his sleep Friday.

Guss, 72, served on the Palatine village board from 1973-77 and served as village president from 1977-1985. He was also president of the Northwest Municipal Conference, which works to strengthen suburban intergovernmental relationships, in 1979.

Guss got involved in politics after being hit by flooding in his neighborhood, his son Robert Guss III said. Incidentally, water would end up playing a major part in his political career.

"With all the flooding back then, we had all this water, but we didn't have any to drink. So he had to, on one hand, contain the flood water, and on the other hand, (find) drinking water," Palatine Village President Rita Mullins said.

Guss is credited with leading the task of bringing Lake Michigan water to Palatine during his political career.

"He used to say that water was like white gold. Without it, you could have nothing, no quality of life. Without water, there was nothing," Mullins said.

Guss was credited for making major repairs to the village sewer system and developing a full-time fire department, Daily Herald records show.

Guss didn't just have a lot on his plate, he had several plates, his son Robert said.

While working for the village, Guss also had a full-time job as a salesman for Stride-Rite shoes and was president of the Village Cobbler shoe stores in Palatine, Barrington and Crystal Lake.

In a 1994 interview with the Daily Herald, Guss said being a shoe salesman is "like being a priest. When you sit on the fitting stool you have close contact with the customer. You hear all of their problems and stories."

Guss was the oldest of eight children and he and his wife of 49 years, Aida, had eight children who gave them 25 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

"He loved his family and his community and that's why he volunteered his time to being involved in village government," Mullins said.

"He cared for the community of Palatine very much."

Guss enjoyed remodeling the family's Palatine home, but in his later years as age and health ailments caught up to him, he enjoyed working in the yard doing landscaping jobs, his son said.

Visitation will be held from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Ahlgrim Family Funeral Home, 201 N. Northwest Highway, Palatine. Prayers will be held at 9:30 a.m. at the funeral home. The funeral Mass will be said at 10 a.m., at St. Theresa Church, 465 N. Benton St., Palatine. Interment will be private.

The family is asking for donations to Little Sisters of the Poor, 80 W. Northwest Highway, Palatine, a group that cares for the elderly, in lieu of flowers.

More funeral information can be found by calling (847)358œ7411.