Dale Berman, longtime North Aurora leader, county board member, dies at 91

Kane County Board member Dale Berman, who spent decades as a public official in the North Aurora area, has died, the county announced Thursday.

Berman, 91, had represented District 2 since 2020.

Before that, he served four terms as mayor of North Aurora in the 1980s and 2000s. He also served as a village trustee for 14 years, from 1977 to 1985 and from 2003 to 2009.

“Dale’s leadership, integrity and commitment to public service have left a lasting impact on our community,” Kane County Board Chairman Corinne Pierog said in a news release. “His work as a public servant, from his time as mayor of North Aurora to his contributions on the County Board, shaped Kane County in countless ways. He was a trusted colleague and friend, and his absence will be deeply felt.”

North Aurora President Mark Gaffino served for many years with Berman. He considered Berman to be a friend and a mentor.

“He always had the best interests of the village at heart,” Gaffino said.

He also noted how Berman was “a grinder,” starting with his days playing high school, college and semi-pro football. Berman played for Northwestern University and Northern Illinois University, where he was named to the all-century athletic roster in 1999.

He then played for the Elmhurst Travelers and Aurora Clippers semi-professional teams.

The attitude carried Berman through as something of a bionic man in his 70s and 80s, when he had surgeries to replace his knees, hips and a shoulder. He kept up with village business through all of it, including using a Segway to campaign door-to-door.

“He was one tough guy,” Gaffino said.

Gaffino and the North Aurora Village Board recently held a ceremony honoring Berman. Gaffino gave Berman a challenge coin at the event.

“I’ve been blessed. Ninety-one years has gone by so fast,” Berman said during the ceremony. He spoke about watching the village’s population grow from less than 2,000 to more than 18,000 residents.

He also recalled losing the village president seat after the board voted in favor of a controversial plan to bring an off-track betting parlor to the village in the 1980s. It was one of two elections he lost.

Berman lived in North Aurora for more than 60 years. He was president of the Fox Valley Park District board and served with the Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the North Aurora Lions Club, the Waubonsee Community College Foundation Board, the Northern Illinois University Alumni Board, and Union Congregational Church. He was an Army veteran.

Professionally, he was the director of information systems and services for First Alert and a customer service manager for Xerox’s computer service division.

While working as an IBM engineer and salesman, he sold and installed Kane County’s first computer system at the circuit court clerk’s office.

Most recently, he had been chairman of the county board’s finance committee.

In 2021, North Aurora honored Berman by naming the silo along the Fox River “Berman Tower.”

Berman is survived by his wife, Mary; four daughters; and several grandchildren.