Wife of Mount Prospect mayor, longtime volunteer dies

Linda Hoefert never held public office. But she contributed to the vitality of her community as a volunteer and supported her husband, Mount Prospect Mayor Paul Hoefert, during his more than three decades of public service.

Hoefert died over the weekend after a long illness, friends confirmed.

“She never said no to anything she was asked to do,” said Jill Friedrichs, who served with Hoefert on the village’s special events commission and remembered her friend as a tireless volunteer.

Raised in Cary, she went on her first date with her husband while they were in high school together. They were married five years later.

She graduated with a degree in accounting from Miami University of Ohio, making her the first in her family to graduate college.

In 1983, Linda and Paul moved to Mount Prospect, where the couple raised two children and Linda became active in the community.

She was a charter member of the newly formed Special Events Commission, serving for more than 25 years. She helped plan and often co-hosted the commission’s Shining Star Award ceremony.

Linda received one of the awards, the Living Legend Award, in 2022.

During the ceremony, Paul Hoefert said, “I must say this is the first time that I personally have been in love with one of our honorees.”

Her volunteer work also included serving on a committee advocating for a referendum to build two new schools in Mount Prospect Elementary School District 57.

She also worked on the celebration committees for Mount Prospect’s 75th and 100th anniversaries.

In addition, she was a member of the Mount Prospect chapter of the Infant Welfare Society and served on the Philanthropic Educational Organization, a group organized to help women achieve their highest aspirations.

She was also involved with Boy Scout Troop 23, the Mount Prospect Historical Society and Trinity United Methodist Church.

“She took the bull by the horns and could be counted on,” said Jean Murphy, president of the Mount Prospect Historical Society. “She always had great ideas.”

Murphy said Paul and Linda would display their house on the historical society’s annual housewalk.

“They have both always been devoted to maintaining Mount Prospect’s history,” Murphy said.

Funeral arrangements are pending.