Former Mount Prospect Mayor Farley dies at 92

Gerald "Skip" Farley, who served longer than any mayor in Mount Prospect history, died Monday at age 92, family members said.

Farley began his stint as mayor in 1989 and continued until 2005.

Under his leadership, the village addressed such issues as O'Hare Airport noise reduction, solid waste management, Des Plaines River flooding and the need for road improvements.

He also oversaw the construction of the village hall and promoted such civic events as the Celestial Celebration, the Shining Star Awards and the Downtown Block Party, as well as the sister city relationship with Sevres, France.

A community room at the village hall is named after him and his wife of 70 years, Janice, who survives him. He had two children, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Skip and Janice came to Mount Prospect in 1973 from Indianola, Iowa.

Janice recalled that longtime Mount Prospect volunteers Leo and Lil Floros, whom the Farleys knew through friends in Iowa and later became cherished neighbors, urged the Farleys to get involved in the community.

"When we came here, Lil found our place where we lived for 50 years," Janice Farley said Monday. "She said, 'Now that you're here, you're not just going to sit and be a do-nothing. You're going to work. You're going to get involved.'"

Skip Farley joined the plan commission and served 10 years as trustee before being elected mayor.

"I think the most important thing for people to realize is how important he was to the region, not just Mount Prospect," said Arlene Juracek, a subsequent mayor. He realized the value of collaboration with all our neighbors."

This included his involvement with the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission, the Northwest Suburban Municipal Joint Action Water Agency and the Levee 37 flood control project.

Current Mayor Paul Hoefert, called Farley an extremely moral and ethical man and said the former mayor acted as a mentor to him.

"I just had so much respect for Skip. And he taught me so much during our time together on the board."

Village historian Jean Murphy said Farley had a "grandfatherly or fatherly feel to him. And everybody just gravitated to him," she said.

She recalled when the village manager decided the village couldn't afford to fund the historical society, "Skip stood up at a meeting and announced that he would forego going to the mayors' conference in D.C. so that we could have our funding."