Northwest Community Hospital 'visionary' dies
One of the longest-serving board members of Northwest Community Hospital, who helped shaped the campus during its years of greatest expansion, has died.
Robert DiVall served the Arlington Heights hospital from 1968 to 1991. He died Thursday in Palm Desert, Calif. He divided his time between the California desert and his home in Inverness. DiVall was 87.
Bruce Crowther, president and CEO of Northwest Community Hospital, recalls that as the chairman of the board's nominating committee, DiVall essentially oversaw the committee that hired him.
But his lasting legacy, Crowther says, is one of financial leadership during years of steady growth.
“As a community hospital, we've always looked at ourselves as an asset to the community,” Crowther said. “We've made sure we were carefully managed and acted as good financial stewards.
“We've been able to do that with Bob's help, and he's one of the reasons we're in good hands today.”
DiVall was a certified public accountant and vice president of American Hospital Supply Co. and ultimately chief financial officer when he joined the hospital board in 1968.
“It was a natural outgrowth of his experience in the health care industry,” says his daughter, Diane DiVall, of Naperville, “but he strongly believed in the hospital's community mission.”
DiVall joined the board one year after the hospital hired Malcolm MacCoun as its administrator, who looked to his directors for help in shaping hospital policy.
“It was a time of terrific growth in the surrounding suburbs,” Crowther adds, “and the hospital was trying to keep up with that, by building more buildings. Bob was one of the strong financial minds that oversaw things.”
During DiVall's tenure on the board, the hospital added its Mental Health Service Building, a $10 million venture that added surgery and orthopedic floors, an expansion of its intensive care unit, and free-standing treatment centers in Buffalo Grove, Schaumburg and Lake Zurich.
A successful business executive, DiVall also served on several corporate boards, including Pepper Construction, the Roper Corp. and First Illinois Bank of Evanston.
However, Northwest Community remained his main philanthropic venture, and according to family members he lived its mission of health and wellness, with his active lifestyle.
Up until the last year, DiVall played golf and tennis regularly. At the age of 80, he realized a lifelong dream of learning to ride a horse, and last June walked his oldest granddaughter down the aisle at her wedding.
DiVall is survived by his wife, Ann, daughters Linda and Diane (Mark Thurow) as well as seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Visitation will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday at Friedrich's Funeral Home, 320 W. Central Road, Mount Prospect.
The 9:30 a.m. Saturday funeral Mass will be held at St. Raymond de Penafort Catholic Church, 301 S. I-Oka Ave., also in Mount Prospect.