'Make whatever contributions you can': Floros remembered for dedication to Mount Prospect
Although much has changed about Mount Prospect over the past 60 years, one mainstay the community could always count on was Leo Floros.
Floros died Saturday, Oct. 30, at 94 years old, but he leaves a lasting imprint on the community he called home since 1959.
"He was an icon in this village," Mayor Paul Hoefert said.
Floros served on both the village and Elementary School District 57 boards, the town's planning and zoning commission, and the Special Events Commission, which he and his wife, Lil, conceived and then co-chaired.
Among his contributions was the creation of the village's Celestial Celebration, held each year to honor winners of the Shining Star awards that are given to residents who've made significant contributions to the community.
Longtime Special Events Commission member Jill Friedrichs said Floros and his wife, who died in 2011, were a power couple in the community.
"They didn't take no for an answer. When they asked you to do something, you did it," Friedrichs said.
The couple was involved in the effort to move the 1895 one-room schoolhouse once known as the Central School to its current home beside the Mount Prospect Historical Society. Later, Leo co-chaired Centennial Commission which planned the village's 100th anniversary celebration in 2017.
"By the time the centennial was happening, most of what he did was fundraising. And he was outstanding at it," said his co-chair, Mount Prospect Historical Society Vice President Jean Murphy. "He knew everybody in town. And he knew exactly who to go to and ask for funds. And the village didn't have to underwrite the cost of that centennial."
Floros and his wife later were honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards at a Celestial Celebration.
"Lil was the power behind the throne. But I would say that Leo sat on the throne," Murphy said.
The village's Special Events Commission was conceived at the Floros coffee table, while Leo and Lil were talking with their good friends, former Mayor Gerald "Skip" Farley and his wife, Janice.
"They were doers," Janice Farley said of the couple. "They had ideas and did them."
"They liked people," Skip Farley added. "Leo was a big tease. He would pull your leg about anything and everything."
Leo and Lil played a big part in the Farleys decision to move to Mount Prospect from Indianola, Iowa, and later involved Skip Farley in village politics. The families would wind up neighbors as well, sharing many cups of coffee together.
Skip Farley said he had gone out for breakfast with Floros only a week before his death.
"Everything was fine. He was as witty as ever, (and) as ornery," Farley said.
Floros served on the District 57 board from 1968 to 1972, then was elected to the village board in 1975. He would go on to serve 18 years as a village trustee.
"One of the things that kind of astounded people was the fact that he and I didn't always agree on board actions," Farley said. "Sometimes, we would really get at it. And then after the board meeting was over, he would ask if I wanted a ride home. And people thought that was strange that we could argue like we do and still ride home together."
A child of Greek immigrants, Floros grew up in Chicago's Ravenswood neighborhood.
"You ask why do we do these things? I guess it's in my own case, your upbringing," Floros told the Daily Herald in 2007, when asked about his community service. "I'm a product of immigrant parents, and they were so appreciative of this country, and so you just kind of learned to be a good boy and make whatever contributions you can at a very early age."
He met Lil when they were students at Wright Junior College in Chicago, where both worked on the school newspaper. Floros later covered sports and worked on the copy desk at the Chicago Sun-Times, before turning to a career in public relations and attaining the rank of executive vice president with the former Selz Seabolt & Associates firm.
In addition to his service to the village, Floros also was active with St. Mark Lutheran Church.
Survivors include daughters Carol (Carol Koszola) Floros and Nancy (Greg) Rajanen.
Visitation is scheduled for 3 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12, at Friedrichs Funeral Home, 320 W. Central Road, Mount Prospect. Visitation also will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, at St. Mark Lutheran Church, 200 S. Wille St., Mount Prospect, before a funeral service at 11 a.m. Interment will be private.