DuPage County said goodbye to many who made a difference

We said goodbye to several notable DuPage County residents in 2014. They left indelible marks on their communities through impressive accomplishments and dedicated community service.

Susan Stuckey, 50

Students at Highlands Elementary School in Naperville described their principal as someone who was a great friend to every student, always had a smile on her face and was “happiness in a bottle.” A principal at Highlands for 13 years, she battled cancer for 3½ years and only recently began to take more time off. When she died in January, then Naperville Unit District 203 spokeswoman Susan Rice called her “the epitome of what educators should be.”

Zeljko Miscevic, 53

The janitor for a labor union was asleep in mid-January when his wife Anka Miscevic first stabbed him in the chest and later struck him with a baseball bar, authorities said. Paramedics found the man on the front lawn of his Lombard home with his wife atop the body. She was charged with murder.

Tilak Patel, 13

The Carol Stream resident and seventh-grader at Eastview Middle School in Bartlett collapsed at a bus stop in mid-January in front of Spring Trail Elementary School in Carol Stream. Family members said he had a serious heart condition, but it never put a damper on his winning smile, kind nature or passion for sports.

George J. Dekan, 93

The Wheaton native who worked as a guidance counselor at Glenbard East High School and taught electronics at Glenbard West was described as a “Renaissance Man.” Dekan, who died in January, was a football player, pole vaulter, inventor, businessman, coach, husband, father and musician.

Marcia Martin, 81

There were three main passions in the Wheaton woman's life: art and architecture, family and the Wheaton community. The wife of former Mayor Robert J. Martin, who served from 1983 until his death in 1990, she was always striving to help others, family members said. In her later years, she took up china painting, stayed involved with the Wheaton Center for History and was active in her homeowners' association.

Allen Belaguas, 21

The Orland Park man became the third victim of a December 2013 fire on Field Court in Naperville. He raced back into the burning house in an unsuccessful attempt to rescue two residents who died. A certified nursing assistant, he had worked at the house for only eight days when the fire struck. Born in the Philippines, Belaguas developed a love for American pop music, especially songs by Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Justin Timberlake.

Emilio Perez, 17

The Villa Park teen, a junior at Willowbrook High School, was walking along I-88 near Joslin after his car ran out of gas in March when he was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver. In addition to school, he worked at a bakery and did some modeling, friends said. “He's just a guy you're never going to forget,” said Kayleign Barry, a senior at Willowbrook, “He was a character and he had a lot of potential to go far in life.”

Janice Gosnell Franzen, 92

The longtime editor of Wheaton-based Christian Life Publications and a well-known DuPage philanthropist died in early April — just a week before the long-awaited launch of her autobiography, “Be an Angel?” She was involved in countless charities and only recently purchased a $90,000 bus for the Windsor Park assisted-living community in Carol Stream.

Joseph Knippen, 74

The longtime head of Wheaton's public works department was known as a leader who wasn't afraid to pitch in and get his hands dirty. In a nearly 40-year career, his wife Connie said, “he was known as the people's man of Wheaton. Everybody always said, 'If you need something done, call Joe Knippen.'” Retired since 2009, he died in May from heart complications.

Michael Wegrzyn, 32

A science teacher at Metea Valley High School in Aurora since it opened in 2009, friends and peers said he was the kind of instructor who wanted his students to find their passion in life and was always willing to help them pursue it. He died in June after a stroke.

Bill Young, 79

The longtime Naperville resident left his mark throughout the community as the founder of the Naperville Park District police force, a teacher, coach and dean at Naperville Central High School, a champion wrestler and a man who loved country music and even tried riding a bull. His real joy came from working with young people in the community. “He just loved this town so much,” said Martha Young, his wife of 40 years. “It was almost like Bill's heaven was Naperville.

Summer White Lynch, 41

The Bloomingdale mom's fight against cancer inspired her mother, Jan White, to launch Bloomingdale's “Pay It Forward Day” in June where people were encouraged to do good deeds. The effort even attracted some international attention. When she died, friends and family remembered her as a positive person who loved travel and planning elaborate birthday parties for her sons.

Mihirtej Boddupalli, 21, and Sajaad Safiullah Syed, 21

The two 2011 Naperville North High School graduates were killed when a driver accused of being over the legal limit for alcohol drove his car into a water-filled quarry just west of downtown Naperville. Boddupalli, of Lisle, was an incoming senior studying engineering at Northwestern University and Syed, of Naperville, was to be a senior at Indiana University when they died in July. Both ran cross-country at Naperville North.

Lija Hyssong, 16

The 16-year-old Glenbard East High School cheerleader from Lombard was a happy girl whose compassion and kindness were obvious to everyone she met at school and church, from jocks to social outcasts. She died unexpectedly in July while vacationing in Pennsylvania. More than 250 youths gathered to honor her at a memorial service. “She smiled at people,” her father, Phil Hyssong said. “Kids said, 'Lija always said hi, she was genuinely interested in me.' We believe, as a Christian family, that was her Christian light coming through.”

Nicholas Ryan, 20

The 20-year-old often talked about following in the footsteps of his Naperville dad, Tim, to become an executive recruiter. Instead he followed his dad, a recovering heroin addict, into drug addiction. After overdosing at least twice previously, Nick died in early August of a heroin overdose. His dad says he's now on a mission to equip relatives and friends of drug users with Narcan — an opiate overdose reversal drug.

Tom Todd, 61

The science teacher and cross country coach at Wheaton Warrenville South High School was a big man with a strong presence but a “soft, wonderful heart.” Friends said Todd, who died in December after a two-year battle with lymphoma, always had a corny joke at the ready — but also always an encouraging word for his students and athletes.

Duane Walter, 88

The retired DuPage County judge from Bloomingdale was known for his compassion and his willingness to marry local couples everywhere from the courthouse to the side of the tollway. The enjoyment he took from performing wedding ceremonies led him in 1996 to open the former Old Town Wedding Chapel in Bloomingdale.

Kay Stephens, 81

The longtime volunteer who helped establish the Naperville Heritage Society and created the music education program at Little Friends, Inc., kept a packed schedule of charitable activities, gardening, training dogs and caring for her family until her death in September. Stephens was an original member of the “Weed Ladies” at Naper Settlement who was remembered for her energy and generosity.

Jerry “JR” McBride, 47

The DuPage County Board member from Glen Ellyn was an advocate, supporters said, for common-sense government reforms and considering the needs of residents and taxpayers first when taking a vote or position on an issue. He had a long battle with cancer.

Emily Driscoll, 22

Emily Driscoll loved laughter, music and dogs, especially her greyhound, a pooch named Quincy. The Naperville woman and her dog were out for a walk in November when they were struck and killed by a car as they tried crossing at the intersection of Book Road and Rickert Drive.

Mark Johnson, 66

The Villa Park man began serving on the DuPage High School District 88 school board in 1999 and was still at it when he died in December after a battle with bone cancer. A retired deputy police chief in Villa Park, he also served on the District 45 Foundation, the Villa Park Kiwanis Club and the Tri-Town YMCA board.

Warren Dixon Jr., 68

The longtime Naperville Township assessor and youth baseball and football coach was remembered as a decent, honest and responsible elected official who served with dignity. He first took office as assessor in 1985 and served until his son replaced him in 2013. He died in December after a five-year battle with esophageal cancer.