Notable deaths in the Fox Valley in 2019: Remembering many who made a difference

Even as we look toward the promise of 2020, we remember those we lost in the past year whose countless contributions helped make the Fox Valley a better place.

There were trailblazers, like Manuel Barbosa - the first Hispanic bankruptcy judge to serve in the U.S. Northern District of Illinois - and Sister Rosemarie Burian, who founded what would become the Northern Illinois Food Bank.

There were educators and musicians and authors and poets and historians and coaches. There was a potter and a banker and a restaurateur.

And there were some who left us much too soon: a 5-year-old boy named AJ; a 12-year-old girl named Faith; a 35-year-old McHenry County sheriff's deputy.

We mourned them and we miss them, but they all live on in our hearts and memories as a reminder of who we were, who we are, and who we can become.

Manuel Barbosa, 72

A pioneering former federal court judge from Elgin, he served 14 years on the bench after becoming the first Hispanic bankruptcy judge to serve in the U.S. Northern District of Illinois in 1998. His favorite stories included shaking the hand of a Princeton University professor who shook the hand of a man who at age 4 had shaken hands with President Abraham Lincoln. Another highlight was meeting U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan when she was dean of Harvard Law School. He retired in 2012.

Sister Rosemarie Burian, 83

The idea came to her in a flash during morning meditation: DuPage County needed a food bank to help feed the poor. It didn't matter that she had no experience in such things - it had to be done. So Sister Burian founded the Bethlehem Center Food Bank, which later became the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Now headquartered in Geneva, it provides more than 66 million pounds of food each year to those in need.

Gary Christenson, 65

The Sleepy Hollow man taught English, journalism and film classes at Elgin Community College for 33 years before retiring in 2012. He also published a book, "Fatherhood is Not Pretty" and wrote columns for a local newspaper and TV Guide.

Mark Dahlem, 48

The Cary resident, youth football and baseball coach and Palatine police officer died of glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive form of brain cancer. "Mark dedicated his life to helping others and making a difference," said Kim, Dahlem's wife of 22 years. "He chose a field that involved situations that others would run from and endured exchanges far from pleasant."

AJ Freund, 5

The death of 5-year-old AJ Freund in April shook the Crystal Lake community to its core - even more so as details of his short and chaotic life emerged - leaving loved ones and strangers alike reeling over how any child could meet such a fate. The young boy was a "virtual ray of sunshine" who loved drawing, reading books and putting puzzles together. He was outgoing and affectionate, friendly and smart, and would have started kindergarten this fall. His mother pleaded guilty to his murder and his father is still awaiting trial on murder charges.

Robert Graham, 75

A combination of professionalism and personal touch made him successful in his 34-year career as an educator and administrator in St. Charles Unit District 303. He left a mark on the community even after his retirement in 2000 - the same year the newly established Bell-Graham Elementary School was named in honor of Graham, his twin brother and their close friend.

Faith Hoberg, 12

She was quiet, shy and always respectful, but the Gilberts-area girl also was spunky and full of sass, with a scrappy competitive side that came out while she was playing hockey. With her signature smirk and a single-finger high-five that replaced all fist bumps, her coaches say she never failed to work hard in practice and fight for the puck during games. A seventh-grader at Cambridge Lakes Charter School in Pingree Grove, Faith's interests ranged from painting to riding roller coasters to listening to music by Panic! at the Disco. She died from injuries in a two-vehicle crash in Carpentersville.

Paul Karas, 81

Anyone living anywhere near the Fox Valley probably has eaten at one of his restaurants, from Alexander's Cafe in Elgin to one of the four Village Squires or at a Rookie's Pub and Grill. Born in Russia to Greek parents, he grew up in Greece and came to the United States in 1963. The Karas Restaurant Group got its start in 1974 when he and his brother, George, bought the Village Squire in West Dundee.

Paul Gamboa, 46

The president of the Indian Prairie Education Association led the teachers union in the district of 27,400 students for the past five years, helping achieve a contract that brought teacher salaries closer to those paid in nearby districts. He was a graduate of District 204 and Illinois State University.

Jacob Keltner, 35

The McHenry County sheriff's deputy was shot and killed while working with federal agents at a Rockford hotel to arrest Floyd E. Brown, a Springfield man wanted on outstanding warrants. A 13-year police veteran, Keltner came from a law enforcement family and wanted to be an officer from a young age.

Mike Ledbetter, 33

The singer and guitarist from Elgin was a rising star on the international blues music scene. He was half of the Welch-Ledbetter Connection, formed after Ledbetter and Mike Welch performed together at an Otis Rush tribute show at the Chicago Blues Festival in 2016. His friend and manager Gina McCain called him "the best thing that happened to blues in 50 years."

Sebastiano Maglio, 85

As the seventh-generation member of his family to make a living as a potter, the East Dundee man turned lumps of clay into vases, bowls, figurines, sculptures and the world's largest hand-thrown vase that stood more than 8 feet tall and weighed 650 pounds. He often repeated an Italian phrase that means "Any problem can be solved."

Paul Miller, 33

The Des Plaines firefighter/paramedic from McHenry died from injuries he received when the motorcycle he was riding struck a car that turned in front of him in Hawthorn Woods. A 6-year veteran of the department, Miller was remembered as someone who lived life to the fullest, had a great passion for the fire service and enjoyed working on cars as a hobby.

Ron Raglin, 58

A passionate advocate for students, he was Elgin Area School District U-46's assistant superintendent of educational support programs and alignment and received Elgin's 2019 Dr. King Humanitarian Award earlier in the year. He was known as a champion of educational equity who helped strengthen ties to community partners to promote student success.

Frank Rutledge, 56

The Aurora resident was regarded as the "poet laureate" of Batavia's Waterline Writers and known for hosting open mics across the area, sharing his poetry and encouraging others to write and express themselves. Friends recalled him as a kindhearted man who was genuine and brought out the creative side in those he encountered.

Wilber G. Smith, 91

The former bank chairman and nonprofit board member from the Fox Valley retired as chairman and CEO of The First National Bank of Elgin and also served in those roles at FNW Bancorp. He served as a trustee for what is now Judson University for more than 30 years, as board president for the United Way of Elgin, and on the boards of St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin and the Elgin Symphony Orchestra.

Dick Stephens, 84

The former Elgin and Bartlett high school football coach was known as one of the game's most passionate coaches. A 1987 inductee to the Michigan Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame and a 2009 inductee to the Elgin Sports Hall of Fame, he coached Elgin to a 90-80-2 record, three Upstate Eight Conference titles and five playoff appearances in two stints over 18 years: 1969-1977 and 1987-1995. In 1997 he became the first head coach at Bartlett, where his teams went 27-22 in five seasons. He stepped down as Bartlett coach in 2001 after a heart attack, but his love of the game continued unabated. Following a year off, he returned to the sideline at Western High School in Jackson, Michigan, and coached four more seasons.

Steve Stroud, 76

The Elgin historian was known for his passion for research into old local homes and cemeteries and as a tenacious and caring man. He wrote "There Used to Be," a three-volume series about the history and architecture of old homes in Elgin and "Silent City: A History of Elgin's City Cemeteries." He highlighted many of the city's historic bungalows on the website elginbugalows.com and was working on a second website to chronicle the city's "lost homes."