Services for Lake County leader today

Memorial services will be held today for Robert Buhai, a former Highland Park mayor who served Lake County in various roles for three decades before hanging up his elected official hat in 2002.

Buhai, 84, died Thursday.

A native of Chicago's North side, Buhai -- an Army veteran who served in the Pacific during World War II -- moved to Highland Park in 1955 with his wife, Ruth.

In 1971, he joined the city council; four years later, he became mayor -- a title he held for 12 years. In 1990, Buhai was elected to the Lake County board and forest preserve district. He was named president of the forest district in 1996, and his 12-year stint on the county board ended only when he opted not to seek re-election in 2002.

A Democrat born to Republican parents, Buhai was a behind-the-scenes force in many notable Lake County and Highland Park projects.

In the 1970s and 1980s, he led efforts to revitalize the downtown sections of Highland Park and Waukegan. He had a hand in several successful forest preserve district referendums and in the development and preservation of Lake County's old Fort Sheridan Army Base. He also helped champion affordable housing issues countywide.

Buhai was a man who preferred getting things done to seeking out the limelight, said John Schulien, a Republican who served with Buhai on the county board. And he made things happen, Schulien said, by listening to all sides and seeking out compromise.

"He truly was a very nice gentleman," Schulien said. "He represented his district well, but he had the good of the whole county at heart."

Buhai is survived by his wife, three daughters and several grandchildren. Services are set for 11:30 a.m. at Piser Chapel, 9200 N. Skokie Blvd. in Skokie. Donations can be made to the Highland Park Community Foundation or the city's Senior Center.