Associates remember former day care owner as devoted to children
Judith Katz will never get her day in court.
The day before her trial on obstruction of justice charges was set to begin in Lake County, the 67-year-old Arlington Heights resident died Sunday after an 18-month battle with cancer.
Katz, the former owner of Lincolnshire day care center Minee Subee in the Park, was charged with the class 4 felony after authorities say she instructed employees to lie about details surrounding the January 2009 death of 16-month-old Benjamin Kingan, who suffered a fatal head injury after day care worker Melissa Calusinski, 25, threw him to the floor. Calusinski, of Carpentersville, was convicted last year of first-degree murder and sentenced to 31 years in prison.
Katz’s family members are devastated and desire their privacy, said Katz attorney Jack Carriglio, who declined to comment on his late client or her case.
According to her obituary, Katz and her late husband Norman owned and operated several early education and day care centers throughout the suburbs over 35 years.
Katz appeared in court Friday in a wheelchair, where Lake County Judge John Phillips denied a motion to dismiss charges against her.
The day care center settled a lawsuit filed by Benjamin’s parents for $2 million in 2010.
A former associate said Katz’ decades of work on behalf of children should not be overlooked.
Katz and her husband “had been leaders in early education. They were pioneers,” said Suzanne Logan, president of PSO/Illinois’ Childcare Association, a professional organization for licensed child care providers which once counted Judith Katz among its board members.
The couple developed a computerized system called Norm’s Forms to store children’s information; they established a keyless entry system to the day care center using fingerprint identification to allow parents to enter while keeping a secure facility; and Norman Katz developed a playground surface to help reduce injuries, Logan said.
“They were all about protecting children,” Logan said, saying Judith Katz worked diligently and tirelessly as a day care provider and as a member of the association. “We hate that what has happened in the last few years has clouded (Judith Katz’s) 40 years of hard work and doing positive things for children.”
In 2007, Judith Katz was inducted into the Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, which recognizes innovative business leaders.
A member of Temple Shir Shalom, she was also a founding member of Anshe Tikvah, Hebrew for “people of hope,” a congregation established in 2005.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Chicago Jewish Funerals, 195 N. Buffalo Grove Road, Buffalo Grove, with internment at Shalom Memorial Park, 1700 W. Rand Road, Arlington Heights. Memorial contributions may be made to Anshe Tikvah, P.O. Box 2455, Northbrook, IL 60065 or the American Cancer Society at cancer.org.