Fremont library board member to be remembered Thursday

A Fremont Public Library District board member who died earlier this month will be remembered by the panel Thursday.

Ralph E. "Gene" Buckingham, who was in his first term on the Mundelein-area board, died April 3 after suffering a heart attack, said his widow, Adrienne.

The library board will begin Thursday's meeting with a moment of silence to honor Buckingham, 64, of Mundelein. The session is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the library, 1170 N. Midlothian Road, Mundelein.

Buckingham was elected to the board in 2007 and was planning to run for re-election next year, Adrienne Buckingham said.

He was encouraged to run for the board because he was fiscally conservative, she said.

Buckingham also served on the Lake County Fair Association board and was a member of a volunteer Community Emergency Response Team that trains to help people following disasters.

"He was very community minded," Adrienne Buckingham said.

Buckingham was retired. He previously worked as a delivery driver for a Mundelein business called Finish Master, and before that he owned his own business, Rx Delivery, Adrienne Buckingham said.

The library board will form a committee to review possible replacements on the panel. An appointee will finish Buckingham's term, but then will be able to run for a complete term, board President Janice Powell said.

Interested candidates should be library district residents, 18 years old and registered voters.

If you're interested, write to library Director Scott Davis or send an e-mail to scottdavis@fremontlibrary.org.