Paul Saletnik, who helped save historic Des Plaines Theatre, dies at 74
A funeral Mass will be said Wednesday for a Des Plaines’ planning and zoning board member and community volunteer who worked to save the historic Des Plaines Theatre.
Paul H. Saletnik, 74, died Jan. 8.
A Chicago native, Saletnik attended Gordon Tech High School in Chicago and then received a bachelor’s degree in architecture at the University of Illinois in Chicago.
Saletnik served as an architect with the Chicago & North Western Railroad for 22 years and then as a kitchen designer for Home Depot for 22 years.
A longtime Des Plaines resident, Saletnik served on the city’s zoning board of appeals for 16 years and then, starting in 2016, on the newly combined planning and zoning board until his death, a city spokesperson said.
Saletnik also served on the board of the Des Plaines Theater Preservation Society, which worked to save the former movie theater at 1476 Miner St. from destruction. The city bought the decrepit theater building in 2018 and renovated it.
An entrepreneur reopened it as a venue for live entertainment in 2021.
Mayor Andrew Goczkowski described Saletnik as “a model citizen and a dedicated public servant.”
“We are so grateful for the time he spent with us,” Goczkowski said. “We already are missing his leadership, his vision and his expertise.”
Saletnik’s survivors include his wife, Krystyna Saletnik-Stachurska; three children; two grandchildren; and two siblings.
Saletnik’s first wife, Barbara Ann Saletnik, was a veteran Des Plaines Public Library employee. She died in 2008.
Visitation is scheduled to run from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Colonial-Wojciechowski Funeral Home, 8025 W. Golf Road, Niles. Prayers are scheduled for 9:45 a.m. at the funeral home, followed by an 11 a.m. Mass at St. Hyacinth Basilica Church, 3636 W Wolfram St., Chicago.
Interment will follow at Ridgewood Cemetery, 9900 Milwaukee Ave., Des Plaines.