Faithful public servant celebrates 100 years

A loyal public servant who served Mount Prospect during the 1970s and 1980s as a village trustee and school board member turns 100 today. Happy birthday to Theodore J. Wattenberg.

Thanks to modern medicine, living to 100 is not as unusual as it once was, but it is still quite an achievement, especially when you realize that Ted's wife of more than 70 years, Marianna, is also living.

For those of you who did not live here during the time when Ted was a public servant, let me just bring you up to speed. During the early 1970s he spent four years on the school board of River Trails District 26 and then he served as village trustee from 1975 to 1990.

According to his daughter, Margaret Shechtman, he dedicated more than 20,000 hours to public service during his combined 20 years with the village and the school board.

"I never thought about the amount of time I devoted to either activity," Ted said recently. "Both were as volunteers. I was happy to help the community and give something back."

"Ted was an extremely dedicated public official who was dedicated to Mount Prospect and to the process," recalled Illinois State Rep. Carolyn Krause, who was mayor of Mount Prospect during Wattenberg's tenure.

"He could be counted on to express his views, which were always meant to advance the common good and move things along," she continued. "And with Ted, it didn't matter if you disagreed with him. He didn't hold grudges. People thoroughly enjoyed working with him."

Former Mayor Skip Farley, who served with Wattenberg on the village board, agreed.

"When Ted took a position on an issue, he was not about to change his mind no matter how hard one worked to point out the fallacy of his reasoning, yet he seldom was disagreeable."

"When Ted was on the board there was never a dull moment," added Leo Floros, another former trustee. "Ted was colorful. He could be outlandish at times. He was funny. But more than anything he always did what he thought was in the best interest of Mount Prospect. He had no hidden agendas. It was all out in the open with Ted."

Wattenberg enjoyed playing the maverick.

"I have always been the lone voice. I am very comfortable in that position," he said. "I do not feel society is best served by elected officials rubber -stamping legislation."

"I do not take credit for the accomplishments the board made during my 16 years in office," Wattenberg continued. "It was a team effort."

This public-minded gentleman began life in Berlin, Germany, on Oct. 31, 1908.

In 1924, at the age of 16, he immigrated to Chicago where he had an aunt and uncle. By 1937 he had earned his law degree from DePaul University.

"When I was earning my law degree things were much more difficult in this country than they are now," Wattenberg recalled. "A major depression was occurring. But, as difficult as things were at that time, they were better than in Europe. It was still possible to succeed. The keys were hard work and dedication."

Since his retirement from public life, Wattenberg has enjoyed living part of the year in Florida and traveling to Germany, Switzerland and Italy with his daughters, Patricia and Margaret, and their spouses and children.

He has also remained active by serving as a consultant to local political candidates, serving as an election judge, doing some real estate closings and serving as president of a local German organization.

"I have fulfilled my American dream with the loving help of my wife, Marianna, family and friends," he said. "I am as proud of my re-elections as I am of my legal work and for serving as a role model to others. When others judge you well, you know you are a success."