Bench dedication honors Rolling Meadows High teacher
On Friday, Sept. 10, 2020, Rolling Meadows High School lost beloved history teacher Pat Thorburn.
Thorburn, 48, taught U.S. History, AP U.S. History, U.S. History for English Language Learners, and AP European History for more than 20 years at Rolling Meadows High School. He brought history to life with his stories, jokes and field trips.
Thorburn's teaching style inspired students and staff alike. He wore costumes, acted out the Boston Tea Party at Salt Creek and celebrated former President Millard Fillmore's birthday every year with his classes.
He was also the varsity coach of the Scholastic Bowl team, a jokester, a trivia genius, the "king" of school spirit in his purple and gold overalls, shoes and spray painted hair, a lover of '80s sitcoms, especially "The Golden Girls," and he could tell you what any day of the week was for any date in history.
Thorburn was larger than life, funny, charming, witty, crazy-smart, energetic, and his energy was contagious. For good reason, his usual first-week-of-school T-shirt read, "Back by popular demand."
In his honor, the Rolling Meadows Park District and the Memorial Dedication Committee, consisting of Rolling Meadows High School staff members Heidi Huck, Cecilia Garcia, Ken Mills, Jen Marconi, Kathy Thorburn and Denise Herff, would like to invite family, friends, colleagues, current and former students to the dedication of the Pat Thorburn Memorial Bench at 3100 W. Central Road, on the east side of the Rolling Meadows Historical Museum, along the bike path.
The dedication will take place from 3:30-4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15.
The Memorial Dedication Committee looks forward to honoring Thorburn's memory with his favorite '80s music and a digital guest book that will be accessible by QR Code.
At the site, there is a memorial bench under a maple tree with a bronze plaque that reads "Thank you for being a friend;"; a bike rack donated by the riding club from Mikes Bike Shop in Palatine, with whom Thornburn rode frequently; and a bicycle repair station with a purple bike pump. The site faces Salt Creek and Rolling Meadows High School.
For information, contact Cecilia García at (847) 736-5032 or Denise Herff at (847) 347-9902.