Lombard honors Senior Man and Woman of Year

Two Lombard residents - Michael "Mickey" Rogers and Rita Schneider - were honored with the village's 2019 Senior Man and Senior Woman of the Year Awards during the 14th annual Senior Fair at Madison Meadow Park.

Rogers is an armed forces veteran who has volunteered with local sports teams, the Cub Scouts, the Knights of Columbus Council 11027 at Christ the King Church in Lombard, the VFW Lilac Post 5815, The American Legion, Elks, Moose Lodge, Masons and the DuPage PADS Daytime Support Center. He's a graduate of the Lombard Police Department's Citizens Police Academy and an active member of the academy's Alumni Association.

Schneider, a loyal Lombardian for more than 50 years, has been an active member on the village's Historic Commission for decades. She has served as a Lombard Park District commissioner and was the driving force behind the Historical Society's 2007 cemetery restoration project. She also was recognized for her efforts in leading the Lilacia Park National Registry Project, a 10-year push that resulted in Lilacia Park being placed on the National Registry of Historical Places earlier this year.

Nominees also included Donald Barg, Thomas Fetters, Audrey Sherman and Rosa Favia.

"It's our honor to be able to recognize these amazing Lombard residents," said Trustee Dan Militello, chairman of the Community Relations Committee, which organized the event. "They set the example that we all aspire to."

The Senior Fair was attended by more than 300 and offered flu shots, massages and information from more than 50 vendors. The Senior Fair is run by the Community Relations Committee which consists of Militello, Trustee William Ware and committee members Ahmed Ali, Pamela Bedard, Michael Ledonne, Sharon Vish, Barb Ware, Gladys Piper and Anthony Pacilli.

To nominate someone for the 2020 Senior of the Year, email seniorfair@villageoflombard.org to be added to next year's contact list.