Longtime Wauconda resident remembered for kindness, caring

The exact dates of service have been lost to time, but Shirley Dato's brief stint on the Wauconda village board was memorable for talking trash. And not in a bad way.

While filling an unexpired term for a couple of years long ago, Dato fostered the first villagewide trash collection ordinance earning her a colorful nickname, said her son David Dato.

But it was community spirit for which the longtime resident, who died Saturday at home, was best known. She was 88.

"She just had a thing for the community and the people here," said David Dato, who grew up in town and served as fire chief for 23 years before retiring in 2015.

"What people really remember her for was her kindness and caring for people's needs," he added.

Her obituary on David Dato's Facebook page had generated 310 comments as of Thursday afternoon.

"All the feedback we're getting isn't simply 'Our condolences and prayers,'" he said. "There are a lot of stories there I forgot."

One was from Janet Spoto, who grew up in Wauconda. Shirley Dato, who owned the former Glenbrook Realty, worked with Spoto when her family was buying a home nearly 30 years ago.

The deal was closed but Spoto and her family, which included two newly adopted kids, three cats and a "very large dog" had to leave their old home before the owners of the new one made it available.

"We had nowhere to go (and) we really didn't have the money for a hotel. I was grumpy and scared," Spoto said. "She (Shirley) said, you can come and stay here."

Dato left and gave up her home to the Spoto family for several days.

"She was just a sweet, sweet person," Janet Spoto said.

Dato moved to Wauconda from Chicago in 1957 with her late husband, Harold, who developed the Larkdale subdivision fronting Route 12, south of Bonner Road. She lived in the big house on the hill for more than 60 years before moving to the Lakepointe neighborhood on Bangs Lake about three years ago.

"She was young and saw Wauconda grow as she grew," said her son Mark Dato. "She absolutely loved Wauconda. She had a remarkable number of good friends."

After Harold died in 1984, Shirley Dato bought his partner out and operated Glenbrook Realty in downtown Wauconda for many years.

Dato also was a board member of Village Bank & Trust, the booster club for Carmel High School for Boys and was involved in many other community activities.

Visitation is from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday at Kisselburg-Wauconda Funeral Home, 235 N. Main St., Wauconda. A memorial service will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. and visitation will continue from 4 to 6 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Wauconda-Island Lake Food Pantry, wilfp.org or House of Hope, c/o St. Anne's Ministries, Barrington, stannebarrington.org.