Wheeling pays tribute to former Village President Sheila Schultz

Community leaders, residents and village workers lined the streets of Wheeling on Tuesday to pay tribute to former Village President Sheila Schultz.

Schultz, a 65-year Wheeling resident who served 16 years as its top elected official - and the first woman to hold that post - died Friday. She was 90.

With social distancing protocols preventing the kind of memorial service befitting a longtime public servant, mourners instead organized a procession through town for residents and others to pay their final respects.

The procession traveled from Kolssak Funeral Home past village hall and other locations before ending at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines for a private burial service.

Schultz began her public service in 1979 when she was elected village trustee. Two years later she was elected village president, a role she held for 16 years.

She was remembered after her passing last week as a leader who worked to create a more equitable environment for all residents.

During her time as village president, the village purchased what is now Chicago Executive Airport, opened its first senior center, joined the Northwest Water Commission and the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County, and established a human rights commission.