Libertyville's final tribute to a homeless friend
A sterling gray headstone placed Monday night at Lakeside Cemetery in Libertyville has capped a remarkable outpouring of community support for a homeless man who died in January.
Jack Thomas' death galvanized his former Libertyville High School classmates, friends and acquaintances, who contributed about $14,300 for a proper send off.
Besides a visitation that included selections from Led Zeppelin and The Who, the funds were used for a funeral, grave site and a distinctive marker as a permanent gesture of respect for the member of the Class of 1986.
Thomas was known as the seemingly omnipresent guy pedaling around town on a bicycle, and stickers of a man on a bike still can be seen near his old haunts. So Michael Webster, who met him 15 years ago while working at a local pizza place, designed that image for the headstone.
“He was definitely a friend to everyone,” said Webster, who studied graphic design and is the production manager at Sign A Rama. “He never looked angry or sad. It was always a pleasure to talk with him.”
The choice was easy for Dustin VerSteeg, who with Preston Dane operates Libertyville Monuments, where craftsmen etched the granite for Thomas' final resting place. They first saw the image while attending Thomas' visitation Feb. 1.
“We just happened to be in the chapel the day of his visitation and we said, 'That would be perfect as a headstone,'” VerSteeg said. “Everyone agreed and we ran with it.”
The background of what appears to be rays of some sort is a nod to The Who, one of Thomas' favorite bands. The inscription “Happy Jack” on the other side of the headstone not only refers to one of the band's early songs, but is a fitting description of Thomas, friends say.
Joe Sweeney, a lifelong resident and classmate organized the services after Thomas, 48, was found dead in January between two buildings on Libertyville's north end.
Had it not been for Sweeney, Thomas would have been cremated and forgotten, according to VerSteeg.
Sweeney said he had no idea what to expect but the effort exploded.
“This is the beauty of the story. You empower people, you inspire people,” he said. “It was a really cool human experience.”
The remaining funds were used for a tree and a bench to be installed at one of Thomas' favorite spots near the Des Plaines River in the Independence Grove Forest Preserve.
Plans also are in the works for a bike ride on July 7, Thomas' birthday.
“We're trying to keep the memory alive,” said Chris Semenchuk, owner of Chris Cycle Center Inc., in Libertyville. “He's still missed.”