Northwest suburban notable deaths of 2009
A look back at some of the notable deaths of 2009 in the Northwest suburbs:
Ed Curtin, 74
Died Aug. 12
A driving force behind the Mid-Suburban League basketball schedule, the Palatine resident scheduled referees for an estimated 5,000 games a year. He held annual clinics to train refs, drilling them on judgment, positioning and the mechanics of making the right signals for their calls.
Irene Curtis, 79
Died Jan. 5
Longtime Streamwood resident was organizer of legendary "Mothers' March" in 1958, that protested the lack of adequate schools for growing postwar community. Mothers, some pushing strollers with dogs and toddlers in tow, marched on the model homes of a local developer, where they were arrested, and later sued for disparagement of business; a suit that died at the Illinois Appellate Court. Result was one new school built and additions to the others.
Ethel Dahm, 88
Died March 14
Dahm's vegetable stand along Rand Road in unincorporated Palatine was a fixture in the Northwest suburbs more than 50 years. At its peak they farmed nearly 1,000 acres of farmland in Palatine, Buffalo Grove and Lake Zurich for the fresh vegetables they sold. The homestead and remaining 15 acres of farmland were sold in 1999 to the developers of Deer Park Town Center.
Bart K. Dill, 76
Died April 16
Longtime public servant in Elk Grove Village, starting with the park board and then the library board in the early 1970s. Was elected to the village board in 1997 and continued to be re-elected to the seat for 10 years, when Parkinson's disease forced his retirement. Mayor Craig Johnson said Dill's 34 years of public service will remain unparalleled in Elk Grove history - he is the only resident to have been elected to all three boards.
Judith Ann Doman, 69
Died Feb. 1
Founder of Door County Confectionery, longtime Inverness resident built chain of 16 stores. Started hand-dipped chocolates business in 1972; at peak, stores were in all major malls in Chicago area as well as Milwaukee and Door County, Wis. In late 1990s, stores were top sellers of Beanie Babies; people would line up down the halls or the latest one. Company now supplies chocolates to 150 locations and sells online and by mail order.
Reggie Fleming, 73
Died July 11
Longtime Northwest suburban resident, was the Chicago Blackhawks 'Enforcer,' and a key member of the 1961 Stanley Cup season; he scored the tying goal in the sixth game of the championship series with the Red Wings, enabling the Hawks to win the game and the championship.
Ray Gaitsch, 85
Died Aug. 3
Owner of the groundbreaking El Rey Music Center in Arlington Heights which promoted the study of guitar long before advent of rock 'n' roll; a virtuoso longtime performer with the WLS National Barn Dance. Originally from Des Plaines, played with the likes of Les Paul and Chet Atkins; was president of the American Guild of Music. His store, opened in Chicago in 1947 and moved to Arlington Heights in 1960, was frequented by up-and-coming musicians such as Ted Nugent, The Buckinghams and the band Chicago.
Kenneth Gill, 83
Died June 1
Superintendent of Wheeling Township Elementary District 21 from 1959-1980; considered courageous and a pioneer by colleagues for standing up to intense pressure over his decision to teach sex education. Instrumental in starting a Braille program for blind students in the district; also helped start a special education program and before- and after-school day care.
Clifford Johnson, 85
Died July 9
Former Jewel executive who helped engineer the grocery store chain from stand-alone markets into the Jewel-Osco combination store concept. Longtime Arlington Heights resident was a decorated war hero who joined Jewel in 1959 where he was instrumental in the acquisitions of Eisner Food Stores and Osco Drug, which later would lead to the Jewel-Osco concept stores.
James Kempe, 82
Died July 17
Elected Barrington Hills village president five times, 1985-2005, deeply devoted to preserving the character of the community. Spent more than 30 year in public service - he was first elected to the village board as a trustee in 1973 - and friends considered him to be both insightful and forward-thinking.
Paul Lawrence, 82
Died April 30
Superintendent of Elgin Area School District U-46 from 1966-1981. Former teacher and soldier in World War II, was credited with being a strong leader, who listened to colleagues and then made a decision and stuck with it.
Angus McDougall, 92
Died Aug. 20
A photojournalism legend, wrote the landmark book, "Visual Impact in Print," while living in Arlington Heights. Led the Missouri photojournalism department, promoting realism in photos at a time when set-up shots characterized much newspaper photography. Named Magazine Photographer of the Year in 1955 by the National Press Photographers Association.
John F. Mitchell, 81
Died June 11
Former Motorola president, of Inverness, was key architect of wireless communications and one of the original patent holders on Motorola's DynaTac portable phone prototype. He joined Motorola in 1953 and retired as vice chairman of the board in 1998; 45-year career is credited with shaping the creation of nearly all of the wireless communications industries in the latter half of the 20th century. Appointed to former President Ronald Reagan's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee.
Alvin Oehlerking, 107
Died Jan. 14
An 80-year resident of Mount Prospect, was the youngest of eight children, all born on a farm in what is now Des Plaines. As a teenager, his family moved to a farm at Mount Prospect and Rand roads, which he eventually farmed with his brother. In 1927, he married Malinda Busse; he and his brother sold their farm to developers in the early 1940s and he began working at a Franklin Park factory that made war supplies. After retiring, remained active with St. Paul's Lutheran Church and School. At his last birthday party, he cut his own cake.
Dr. Shirley Peterson, 86
Died Jan. 17
Among the first female pediatricians in the Barrington area, also known for environmental activism; the 53-year resident of Barrington practiced out of her home at Grove and Cook streets 1955-1987. A leader with Citizens for Conservation and Barrington Natural History Society, won the 1986 William Miller Conservation Award.
Sharon Sharp, 69
Died July 5
Pioneering woman in statewide Republican politics and director of the Illinois State Lottery from 1987-1991. Started her political career with the Elk Grove Township Republican party, where she eventually became township clerk. Lost a 1978 bid for Illinois Secretary of State to Alan Dixon, but Gov. James Thompson appointed her Special Assistant for Women and then lottery director. Sharp added a second weekly game to the lottery and started the Cash 5, which became Little Lotto.
Helen Slingerland, 80
Died March 28
One of the last remaining links to Schaumburg's beginnings, her German ancestors in Schaumburg and Roselle date to the early 1800s. Born in 1929 on the family farm in Roselle, as the youngest of 13 children of Henry and Emma Siems, she was the longtime school nurse at St. Peter Lutheran School and a co-president of Schaumburg High School's VIP Club in 1970. Her ranch home, where she and her husband, Walter, lived for 40 years, later gave way to the Schaumburg Municipal Center.
William Smith, 83
Died Jan. 24
As general manager of some of the nation's largest Hilton Hotels, South Barrington resident was seemingly everywhere. He was escorting President Reagan to his limousine on March 30, 1981 when John Hinckley fired six shots that hit Reagan in the stomach; Smith was among the few of the party uninjured. In 1968 he was assigned to the chain's flagship, the Conrad Hilton, just days before it became headquarters for the Democratic National Convention and a focal point for street violence. He managed the 1978 renovation of the Fontainebleau Hilton in Miami Beach and in 1984 returned to manage the $150 million transformation of the Conrad Hilton into the Chicago Hilton and Towers. Met every president from Kennedy to Clinton, but his friendship with Reagan was his most memorable.
Honorable Fred G. Suria, 81
Died July 11
Spent 44 years on the bench in Cook County, mostly at 26th and California, overseeing some of its most serious criminal cases. A longtime Barrington resident he presided over the 1995 sexual assault trial of former Congressman Mel Reynolds, in which he was convicted and effectively saw his political career end.
Gordon L. Teach, 91
Died Feb. 9
Best known for his leadership with the National Association of Securities Dealers, the self-regulatory arm of the securities industry. Inverness resident was close friend of economist Milton Friedman, and advised Presidents Nixon and Ford. Longtime board member of Resurrection Health Care System and privately helped build the retirement fund of the Sisters of the Resurrection.
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=346995">Northwest suburban notable deaths of 2009 <span class="date">[12/29/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=347021">Fox Valley notable deaths of 2009 <span class="date">[12/29/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=346983">DuPage County notable deaths of 2009 <span class="date">[12/29/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=346909">Lake County's notable deaths of 2009 <span class="date">[12/29/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>