Retired Arlington Heights man shows children, adults what it means to be a good neighbor

The 120 block on Donald Avenue in Arlington Heights is a scene straight out of the 1980s. Screens may be a fact of life now, but kids there are still often outside playing, and block parties and get-togethers are alive and well, according to multiple residents.

The adults show their children what it means to be good neighbors. They’ve formed a community, one where everyone knows each other by name and people are willing to help when others need them.

One big reason for this culture is Gerry Grapenthien, a 73-year-old man who the neighbors have playfully dubbed “mayor of the block.” He’s known in their little community as a person who always will be there, whether offering to help with home improvement projects, watching the house while a neighbor is away or even rolling trash cans out for pickup.

“Just last week, I had a whole restoration that we did at the house,” neighbor Nick Jones said, “He’s like, ‘oh, let me give you a hand.’ I mean, here’s a guy that just walked out to take care of something and sees me, and then next thing you know he’s hauling garbage out of my garage.”

Grapenthien is beloved in his neighborhood. Jones has lived by the 30-year resident for 22 of those years, and his kids refer to Grapenthien as “Uncle Gerry.”

“He’s like an uncle,” Jones said. “I mean, he literally is just that guy that, you know, he shows he genuinely cares and wants to protect and make sure that people are safe, and he wants to be there.”

In addition to helping around the neighborhood, Grapenthien likes to support the children who live on the block by showing up to their sporting events.

“When you see somebody when they’re a week old, and now they’re in high school and they’re running track and they’re playing badminton and they’re playing tennis, it’s good to support them, and I really think they enjoy when I come there,” Grapenthien said.

Trisha Kocanda, who has lived on the block for the past nine years, says he’s often attended her children’s events.

“Other parents would be there like, ‘oh, is that your grandpa?” Kocanda said. “No, that’s our neighbor, Gerry. They’re like, ‘you’re kidding.’”

Grapenthien doesn’t do these things for recognition, something his neighbors were quick to clear up. He is the furthest thing from a busybody, and he doesn’t expect anything in return, Kocanda said.

“I just enjoy doing it,” Grapenthien said. “I like helping people. That’s how I was brought up. You know, the old lady who lived next door, I used to have to go shovel her snow all the time or cut her grass for free. But that’s the way our parents taught us.”

After a long career driving newspaper delivery trucks for The Chicago Tribune, Grapenthien is now retired, but he’s very active. In addition to helping others with home projects, Grapenthien has the capabilities to protect the neighborhood if a situation presented itself. He’s a black belt in martial arts, according to Jones.

But at his core, Grapenthien is a man who loves the community he lives in. He praised the parents on his block for keeping their kids off screens and lauded local schools. When his peers complain about taxes, Grapenthien is quick to remind them what they’re paying for.

“That’s why our block is a very desirable place to live — just because of the people,” Grapenthien said. “It’s all families who are moving in there, and when a house is for sale on the block, it goes fast because everybody knows.”