Former Rolling Meadows mayor Bill Ahrens dies
You always knew where you stood with former Rolling Meadows Mayor William "Bill" Ahrens.
During his 11 years as mayor, Ahrens' stubborn demeanor caught many off guard. He demanded much from those around him, but once he trusted you, he showed his generosity.
Ahrens, 79, died Thursday afternoon at his Oshkosh, Wis. home. He had been suffering from lung cancer and was recently placed in hospice care.
Friends and family on Thursday recalled his intensity on the job and at play.
"I think everybody knows what a good man he was," said his daughter, Debra Stoltman of Rolling Meadows.
During his tenure as mayor, Ahrens helped bring a system for Lake Michigan water to the city.
Ahrens resigned from the mayoral post in the middle of his term in 1990, two years after suffering a heart attack. He also served as alderman from 1967 to 1979.
He and his wife, Betty, retired to Orlando, Fla. Betty Ahrens, who died in 2008, is remembered for her support of her husband's political career and as someone who knew how to deal with his antics.
"We used to call her St. Betty," Rolling Meadows Chamber Executive Director Linda Ballentine joked.
While Ahrens eventually became one of Ballentine's strongest allies as an advocate for the chamber, it took time for him to trust her leadership. She remembers Ahrens throwing away sealed envelopes containing the chamber's newsletters right in front of her. He reasoned he didn't need to read the newsletter, as he printed copies of it at his printing company.
"You either loved him or didn't," Ballentine said. "There was no middle ground."
The Daily Herald in 1997 named Ahrens one of the top 125 people who shaped the suburbs. The paper wrote 13 years ago that "to some he was a strong, involved leader. To others, he micromanaged operations best left to city staff."
Current Rolling Meadows Mayor Ken Nelson said Ahrens "had a true love for the community and everything he did was based on wanting to make Rolling Meadows a better community than the day before."
Ahrens also served the Northwest Municipal Conference, starting the group's annual golf outing. The conference awards the Ahrens Trophy at the event. The group's former executive director, Rita Athens, remembers the fun Ahrens injected to the event.
"I think his legacy with the conference was that he was really respected by other mayors who admired him because he got things accomplished," she said.
Ahrens served the Rolling Meadows rotary and the Clearbrook Foundation. He was a World War II veteran.
He leaves behind five children, 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
A visitation will be held from 3 to 8 p.m. on Monday at the Meadows Funeral Home, 3615 Kirchoff Road. A funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Colette Church. For more information, call (847) 253-0224.