Mount Prospect board pays final tribute to 'visionary' former Trustee George Busse
This story has been updated to correct George Busse's relationshio to William Busse.
Mount Prospect village board members paid tribute Tuesday to former Trustee George R. Busse, who died April 29 at 91 years old.
Mayor Arlene Juracek read a proclamation from the board, noting that Busse was the grandnephew of Mount Prospect's first mayor, William Busse, and praising his commitment to serving the community with "honesty, integrity, and hometown pride."
"The village of Mount Prospect is grateful to have had such a visionary during his many years of leadership."
Trustee Paul Hoefert said of the man he described as an "around-the-corner neighbor."
"I don't think anybody would disagree that he was the real deal," Hoefert said. "He was kind. He was friendly. Generous to the community to a fault. There aren't as many people that were connected to old Mount Prospect as it once was, and George was one of those people."
Juracek urged people to read Busse's interview for the Mount Prospect Historical Society website to learn about how the village was subdivided and about the farmers who helped build the town.
Busse was a lifelong resident of Mount Prospect before moving to Luther Village in Arlington Heights in 2010 and later to an assisted living facility in Schaumburg. He graduated from Arlington High School, earned a degree at Oklahoma A&M University, and served as a pilot in the Air Force.
Besides his time as a village trustee, he served as a volunteer firefighter, Elk Grove Township clerk, president of the Mount Prospect Chamber of Commerce, chairman of Mount Prospect State Bank, chairman of the Northwest Suburban YMCA, and chairman of St. Paul Lutheran Church.
A private service was scheduled for Wednesday.