Glen Ellyn mourns former village manager

For Gary Webster, the job of village manager certainly was not about his own glory.

He didn't like taking credit for the things that happened in Glen Ellyn; he was simply there to support the community and the village board.

"Gary had a passion for good management of the village and good community involvement," his wife Karen said Monday. "It wasn't about him at all. He was one of the few non-ego people in that job."

Webster, 64, died Aug. 14 in Tucson, Ariz. He was village manager in Glen Ellyn for nearly 22 years before his retirement in 2006.

He was diagnosed with cancer the same week he retired.

Karen Webster said her husband had a passion for village management that went back to his childhood. A family friend was one of the first city managers in Webster's native Michigan and talked up the job.

"Gary was in love with the profession," Karen said. "He liked the idea of the ethics that the profession is about."

Webster is credited with various developments in town, including projects along Roosevelt Road. He also was known for keeping the town fiscally responsible.

"He really took into consideration the taxpayers," former village President Vicky Hase said. "He was very creative in how to pay for things."

Hase said Webster was very professional and had the ability to look at different viewpoints without getting personally involved. In his career in Glen Ellyn, he worked with six different village presidents and 43 trustees.

Karen said her husband worked hard to get things done but didn't want to be in the limelight.

Nevertheless, he was still well-known around town from his position with the village and because of the time he spent volunteering for organizations such as Rotary International. Webster was a shy person, but he had a different persona when he talked to residents, Karen said.

At home, he was an introvert, but his wry sense of humor popped out on occasion.

"He was reserved, but once you got to know him, he had a wonderful sense of humor," Hase said.

Besides Glen Ellyn, Webster also worked as manager in Pontiac, Mich., and Wood River.

After retirement, the Websters moved to Tucson to take advantage of the weather and the outdoors they both loved.

"We loved Glen Ellyn. We felt we were part of the community," Karen said. "But it's good for the city manager to get out of the city he'd been managing."

Karen and Gary were working their way through a list of national parks, hoping to visit all of them after Gary's retirement.

"We both grew up in families that traveled," Karen said. "We had it in our blood." In fact, the couple met while both were in Spain for a trip through Kalamazoo College.

"Being in a different country gives you an insight to your own culture," Karen said.

Webster is survived by his son Adam, daughter Jordan, sisters Ellen Goff and Barbara Coombs and brother Roger.

The family is planning a memorial service in the Glen Ellyn area in the fall. Memorial contributions can be made to The DuPage Community Foundation, 104 E. Roosevelt Road, Suite 204, Wheaton, 60187, or through dcfdn.org.