Northwest suburbs lost many notables in 2011
Mark Beaubien Jr.
Illinois state representative represented Barrington area for 15 years; 68, died June 5.Beaubien, of Barrington Hills, was a moderate Republican who represented the 52nd House District, which included most of the Barrington area. He joined the state legislature in October 1996 to fill a seat left vacant by the resignation of former Rep. Al Salvi. He won election one month later and faced few serious challenges in the seven elections thereafter. Before heading to Springfield, Beaubien served on the Lake County Board and as Cuba Township supervisor.
Jeff Butterfield
Palatine banker who devoted himself to community service; 63, died Feb. 8.Former president and CEO of Harris Bank Palatine, and vice chairman of Cornerstone National Bank in Palatine since 2005, Butterfield believed that all corporations should be good corporate citizens. He fundraised for community organizations #8212; Harper College, the Buehler YMCA and WINGS, among others. He also co-chaired the #8220;Project Tomorrow#8221; campaign and raised $8 million for Harper College scholarships and programs, even as the economy tanked. #8220;It's the power of the community,#8221; Butterfield explained at a foundation dinner in 2009.
Maggie Daley
Chicago's first lady for 22 years; 68, died Nov. 24.Maggie Daley was indelibly tied to Chicago, but she was a regional figure, remembered by suburban leaders for her grace, warmth and interest in suburban issues and problems. Her husband, Richard M. Daley, mayor 22 years, and Mrs. Daley were frequently at regional and national mayors' conferences. At the national conference, Mayor Daley and his wife would take the Illinois mayors to dinner, sitting at different tables because the mayor knew she could hold her own, said Schaumburg Mayor Al Larson. #8220;Gracious with a capital #8216;G' is how I'd describe her,#8221; he said.
Lindsey Durlacher
One of the most decorated wrestlers and wrestling coaches in Illinois history; 36, died June 4.Durlacher's remarkable career started early when he won the state wrestling championship for Buffalo Grove High School in 1992 with a 44-0-1 record. A two-time all-American at University of Illinois; second at the 1997 NCAA Championships; and fourth at the 1996 NCAA Championships. At the 2006 World Championships, he won the World Greco-Roman bronze medal in his weight class. In 2007, he took fifth and helped the U.S. win its first World Team title. A silver medalist in 2003 and 2007 at the Pan American Championships; he won the U.S. Open in 2006. A successful coaching career was celebrated in 2007 with his induction into the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Hall of Fame.
Robert Galvin
As CEO of Motorola for 30 years, he built his father's radio company into an international giant; 89, died Oct. 11.Galvin was named CEO of Motorola in 1959 and stayed there for nearly 30 years, taking a company with annual sales of $290 million and turning it into a wireless pioneer with revenue of $10.8 billion. He relocated the company's headquarters to its current site in Schaumburg and was celebrated for his Midwestern work ethic, his philanthropy and his foresight. #8220;Bob saw around corners,#8221; said Greg Brown, CEO of Motorola Solutions Inc.
Joe Gentile
Suburban car dealer who built the Joseph J. Gentile Center at Loyola; 87, died Oct. 10.Gentile ran Gentile Chrysler Plymouth in Barrington for 29 years before selling it in 2003, but his best love was the Loyola Ramblers. Once was the top Buick salesman in the country for 10 straight years; opened his own dealership in Barrington in 1974, and dubbed the #8220;Baron of Barrington#8221; by Chet Coppock. Donated $1 million to St. Ignatius High School, which resulted in the Joe Gentile Gymnasium, and gave $3.5 million to Loyola for the Joe Gentile Center.
Ray Herr
Ides of March guitarist, 64, died March 29.An Arlington Heights native and 1965 graduate of St. Viator High School, Herr played with the Ides of March on their biggest hit, #8220;Vehicle,#8221; and again on #8220;L.A. Goodbye, which got to No. 2 on the charts. He returned home to the play restaurants and clubs throughout the Northwest suburbs, and most recently helped organize an open mic night at American Legion Post 208 in Arlington Heights, where he continued to be a big draw. He liked to promote young performers and sometimes played backup guitar and bass for them.
Wendell Jones
Former Palatine mayor and state senator, 73, died Oct. 25Jones, a Palatine institution, was a trustee from 1967-1973 and then mayor, 1973-1977. He was appointed to the Illinois state Senate in 1998 when Peter Fitzgerald left the seat for the U.S. Senate, and Jones stayed there for a decade before retiring. He supported a safe house for abused women and the secession of Northwest suburban Cook County into #8220;Lincoln County#8221;; sponsored a law to help families protect children; spearheaded a measure to reopen Arlington Park racetrack; and supported charter school reform for Illinois. Before politics, he was director of special education at Palatine Township Elementary District 15 and assistant school superintendent in Cook County.
Joy Matthiessen
First paid director of the Des Plaines History Center; 60, died Aug. 3Matthiessen oversaw the history center's expansion and growth for 22 years. Under her direction, the History Center was named Outstanding Mid-Size Museum in 2004 and she herself was named Professional of the Year by the Illinois Association of Museums in 2000. She previously worked in the collections department at the Arlington Heights Historical Museum and interned at the Missouri Historical Society and Henry Ford Museum.
Dorothy Rodham
Mother to one of the most powerful women in American politics; 92, died Nov. 1
Longtime Park Ridge resident and mother of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rodham was born Dorothy Emma Howell in Chicago. She survived a painful childhood and pushed all three of her children to work hard academically. Hillary Clinton once called her mother her inspiration. #8220;I owe it to my mother, who never got a chance to go to college, who had a very difficult childhood, but who gave me a belief that I could do whatever I set my mind,#8221; she said.
Paul Splittorff
Legendary Kansas City Royals pitcher and broadcaster; 64, died May 25.An Arlington Heights product, the left-hander became the winningest pitcher in Kansas City Royals history and then was a successful broadcaster for nearly a quarter-century with the franchise. Played with the Royals 1970-84 and still holds franchise records for wins (a 166-143 record), starts (392) and innings pitched (2554#8532;) and is a member of the team's Hall of Fame. His 1965 American Legion team in Arlington Heights finished fifth in the nation.