Former Lake County Board member remembered
Charles “Chuck” Bartels won his first elected office as a Lake County Board member only two years after he suffered a life-altering spinal cord injury.
“He was not going to let his disability define him,” said his wife, Teresa Hall Bartels. “And yet he was an advocate for helping people to understand what accommodations really meant.”
Family and political leaders are remembering Bartels, who died at age 79 on Dec. 23, for his sense of civic purpose, humor and natural curiosity.
“I would call him a gem of Mundelein,” Mayor Steve Lentz said. “He was just an outstanding resident, and a great man when you look at his accomplishments.”
Bartels injured his spinal cord in 2012 due to a fall following an epileptic seizure. He went on to represent the Mundelein area on the county board — members also serve as forest preserve commissioners — from 2014 until 2018. He loved campaigning, his wife said.
“After he retired, he obviously was dealing with a whole new set of challenges being in a wheelchair, but that wasn’t going to stop him,” she said.
While in office, Bartels sought to make forest preserves more accessible for families and promoted the county’s natural beauty. More recently, Bartels volunteered as a board member of the Preservation Foundation, the charitable partner of the Lake County Forest Preserves.
“Chuck had a deep appreciation for nature and especially enjoyed spending time at Lakewood Forest Preserve in Wauconda. He cherished moments spent fishing with his children in Canada during their formative years,” said Rebekah Snyder, director of community engagement and partnerships at the Lake County Forest Preserves.
“Chuck understood the importance of preserving and protecting our natural lands, and he worked to educate others about how the forest preserves enhance quality of life in Lake County and inspire them to get involved.”
Bartels retired from staffing giant ManpowerGroup after a 44-year career. He was previously co-owner and CEO of what was then Manpower’s sixth largest U.S. franchise. For the past three years, Bartels trained CEOs as an executive leadership coach.
And yet, he started his career with no formal business education. Bartels graduated from John Carroll University in 1966 and became a physics and chemistry teacher in Ohio. But the Milwaukee native had learned about small business from his parents, who operated a grocery store, a music store and several beauty salons.
“He was pretty comfortable as a sales person because he was pretty extroverted,” Teresa Hall Bartels said. “Somebody once said ‘Chuck can talk to anybody,’ and I think that’s true.”
Bartels also was one of the founders of the economic booster group Lake County Partners.
“I always enjoyed talking to him because it seemed like every time I talked to him, I learned something new that day,” Lentz said. “He had tremendous knowledge and a tremendous amount of broad knowledge and great insights into just people.”
Bartels volunteered for a host of other organizations. He was most proud of his five sons, all graduates of Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein.
“He was my best friend, and the person I could tell everything to,” his wife said.
She’s been comforted by the tributes from people who described Bartels as a “man of integrity, who did the right thing, who spoke his truth, who was unfailingly honest, kind and generous.”
His visitation will take place at Carmel Catholic High School from 3 to 8 p.m. Wednesday. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church, 22333 W. Erhart Road, Mundelein, followed by burial at Ascension Catholic Cemetery, 1920 W. Buckley Road, Libertyville.
Instead of flowers, donations may be made to Carmel Catholic, United Way of Lake County, or another cause. Bartels was the current chair of the high school’s board.
•Daily Herald staff writer Mick Zawislak contributed to this report