Notable Lake County deaths in 2015
We said goodbye to several notable Lake County residents in 2014. They left indelible marks on their communities through impressive accomplishments and dedicated community service.
While the list includes a few of local politicians, it also includes a former business leader and a Chicago Bears coach.
Richard Welton
Former Gurnee Mayor Richard Welton was remembered as a visionary who helped shape not just that village but the landscape of Lake County and the broader suburbs.
Welton, who led Gurnee from 1973 to 2001, died July 31. He was 72.
In his 28 years as mayor, Welton helped guide a quaint community into becoming a major retail and entertainment force. He oversaw the development of Six Flags Great America, Gurnee Mills, numerous housing developments and the tremendous expansion of the village. Gurnee officials said the village's size and population doubled during his time in office.
He also worked with the Lake County Joint Action Water Agency, helping to bring Lake Michigan drinking water to more of the North and Northwest suburbs, and with agencies dealing with stormwater and transportation issues across the suburbs. Most recently, he'd been a member of the Pace Suburban Bus Service board.
"He was one of the guys who really made Lake County Lake County," said Suzi Schmidt, a former state senator and Lake County Board member who worked with Welton on countless projects.
Welton grew up in Gurnee, graduated from Warren Township High School and from Carthage College. He later managed the Welton's Food Mart in Gurnee and developed the store into a five-location chain.
Welton was appointed to the Gurnee village board in 1971. When he was elected mayor two years later, he was 30 - and the youngest mayor in Illinois at the time.
Last year, the village honored him with plans to turn village-owned land near the Des Plaines River into a public space called the Richard A. Welton Village Plaza.
Jack "Red" Anderson
Former Lake County Treasurer Jack "Red" Anderson, who made a lasting impression and is remembered for his big personality, died Dec. 8. He was 80.
Anderson worked his way up from office employee to deputy treasurer in the 20 years before being elected treasurer in 1978.
Born and raised in Waukegan, Anderson was well-known for the raucous Republican Party fundraising parties he hosted every summer on Blarney Island on the Chain O' Lakes. He also was regarded as a helpful public servant.
"Red was an everyday guy. He was not really a politician. He liked working for people and with people," said Robert Skidmore, who began as an assistant cashier in the treasurer's office in 1984 and was Anderson's hand-picked successor.
Skidmore said while Anderson may not have been able to solve a particular problem for someone, he would take the time to talk it through with them. He was among the first to accept partial payments for taxes.
"He really did care about the people," Skidmore said. "He was big in size but he had a soft heart."
Margaret Breeden
One of the brains behind the Wauconda Orchards, which drew up to 150,000 people a year during the heyday of its 50-year run, died March 8.
Margaret Breeden ran the financial end of the farm operation, while her husband, Richard, developed the orchard into a destination for thousands of city and suburban residents. She was 98.
"She was very supportive of the orchard, all the way through," Richard Breeden said.
While Richard came up with the ideas for the business, it was Margaret who oversaw the books and handled the financial transactions, including the W-2 forms for the farm's more than 100 employees.
On a whim, Richard Breeden purchased 75 acres in rural Wauconda for $100 an acre in 1951, fulfilling his dream of owning a farm. Their orchard would grow to include 10,000 trees and 250 acres. The Breedens would also add a country store and restaurant, as well as a catalog business, before expanding the farm to include raspberries, pumpkins and strawberries.
The couple sold the farm to developers in 2001.
The Rev. Robert E. Ferrigan
The Rev. Robert E. Ferrigan, who once headed a Mundelein retreat house and served at churches in the Northwest suburbs, died Oct. 8. He was 79.
Ferrigan most recently was pastor emeritus of Sacred Heart Parish in Winnetka, archdiocese officials said. From 1983 to 1990, Ferrigan was director of the Cardinal Stritch Retreat House on the campus of University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary. He also had a stint as the seminary's spiritual director.
He moved on to serve as Sacred Heart's pastor from 1990 to 2006, where he later received emeritus status.
Among his many assignments, Ferrigan was assistant pastor at St. Stephen Protomartyr Parish in Des Plaines from 1961 to 1966 and St. Matthew Parish in Schaumburg from 1977 to 1983.
The Rev. William Kenneally, a retired archdiocesan priest, was a longtime friend, remembered Ferrigan for having a "distinct personality."
"Father Ferrigan was an extraordinary pastor - someone who loved the priesthood and was a real character," Kenneally said.
The Rev. Robert J. Fitzpatrick
The Rev. Robert J. Fitzpatrick, pastor emeritus at St. Bede Parish in Ingleside, died Nov. 24. He was 87.
"Fr. Fitzpatrick was a real legend at St. Bede," said the Rev. Timothy Fairman, pastor of St. Theresa Parish in Palatine. "He was beloved by generations of parishioners and their families. He loved saying Mass and preaching and was especially devoted to helping the poor and needy."
Fitzpatrick was born in Chicago. He received his bachelor of arts and master of divinity degrees from the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary, and was ordained May 5, 1954 by Cardinal Samuel Stritch.
His first assignment was as assistant pastor at St. Cletus Parish in La Grange, where he served until 1964. He was an assistant pastor at Immaculate Conception Parish in Waukegan from 1964 to 1973. Fitzpatrick was assigned as chaplain at St. Therese Hospital in Waukegan, where he served until 1984 when he was made associate pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Waukegan.
In 1986, Fitzpatrick was named pastor of St. Bede Parish in Ingleside, where he served until his retirement in 1992.
Teresa Ponio
Former Island Lake Village Clerk Teresa Ponio died Jan. 26. She was 56.
"Teresa kept it private but she had been battling liver cancer for several months," Mayor Charles Amrich said in announcing her death.
Ponio was elected clerk in 2013, as part of Amrich's slate of candidates. She took a leave of absence in October after her diagnosis.
"She has been concentrating on beating the disease that took her life for the last four or five months," Amrich said. "She was dedicated to beating that cancer."
Police and Fire Commissioner Debra Jenkins said many in the community were devastated by the news.
"Teresa was just the most lovely woman who everyone adored," Jenkins said. "She was also a very talented painter and a great gardener."
Dick Stanfel
Dick Stanfel, considered at one time to be "the best offensive line coach in football" by Mike Ditka, died June 22 at his home in Libertyville after a long illness. He was 87.
Stanfel was the Bears' offensive line coach from 1981 to 1992, working under Ditka and leading the line that paved the way for the Bears offense during the 1985 season that ended in a Super Bowl XX victory.
Stanfel helped to mold offensive linemen such as Tom Thayer, Keith Van Horne, Mark Bortz, Jay Hilgenberg, and Jimbo Covert.
"What (Stanfel) gave to us was the pride it takes to be a player in the NFL," Hilgenberg told the Chicago Tribune after his former coach was nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012. "On nights before games, he would talk to us about making sure the guy you were playing against the next day finished the game saying, 'Man, that was one tough S.O.B.' "
For Stanfel, the 1985 championship was his third NFL title. He first made his mark on the league as an All-Pro offensive lineman.
Drafted by the Lions in 1951 out of the University of San Francisco, he won two NFL Championships during his four seasons in Detroit and was named MVP in one of them, making him the only offensive lineman to earn that honor. He was traded to Washington in 1956, and added three more Pro Bowl selections. In 2002, he was named one of the 70 Greatest players for Washington.
Stanfel was named to the 1950s All-Decade Team and nominated twice for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in 1993 and 2012.