Former Streamwood village president Jack Fehlandt dies at 87

Jack Fehlandt, Streamwood's most recent former village president who left office 33 years ago, died Sunday at his residence in Sun City, Arizona, at the age of 87.

According to his wife, Pat, his death followed many years with Alzheimer's disease.

She and her daughter, Vicki Dalka, said the public service he demonstrated most strongly in the 1970s and '80s seemed to spring from a desire to contribute to his community after an itinerant upbringing and his later Army service, during which he spent time in Japan.

"Little by little, he got involved in helping the community," Vicki said. "He was really committed to doing the right thing and making sure others were doing the right thing."

It was during his tenure that a federal investigation determined then-Village Manager Ed Emond was engaging in corrupt and fraudulent practices with businesses and that the village itself had been wronged. After his dismissal, Emond was convicted of racketeering, extortion, mail fraud and income tax fraud.

Fehlandt, on the other hand, was a man committed to social justice who'd taken part in marches for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Dalka said.

After previous public service in Villa Park, Fehlandt served as a Streamwood trustee from 1977 to 1981, again from '83 to '85, and then one term as village president from '85 to '89 before he decided not to run again. He was succeeded by current village president Billie Roth.

He still was working in the banking industry at the time, which was a factor in his decision to walk away from local politics, Dalka said.

"He literally dove in 150% to everything he did, and the politics began to take away from family time," she said. "He really had to choose."

Another factor, Pat Fehlandt said, was that she was working full time in the village's finance department. Fehlandt's role on the village board required them to maintain a professional distance on village business, and there was an awkwardness in the things they couldn't talk about. She ultimately worked for the village for 23 years until 2001.

But today's Streamwood still bears marks of Fehlandt's legacy, she said, including the village hall building whose approval he oversaw but never served in himself, and construction of Westview Shopping Center on Barrington Road that came about through an agreement with Hanover Park's government.

He eventually lost his job in banking while in his mid-50s but reinvented himself by training to be a home inspector. He co-created the business Mr. Perfection Home Inspection, later selling his share of the business to his partner, whose son now runs it.

Jack and Pat married in 1976; it was the second marriage for both. Fehlandt had a daughter named Annina already but helped raise Pat's daughter, Vicki, and her two brothers while they were still young.

The couple spent a few years in Bartlett after leaving their Streamwood home before relocating to Arizona in 2016. Though they embraced the sunshine and year-round warmth, they never lost their passion for Streamwood.

"We both loved the community and took great pride in the community," Pat said.

Though initial services for Fehlandt will be held Thursday in Sun City, a later celebration of his life will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, at Hoosier Grove Barn, 700 W. Irving Park Road in Streamwood.