HallofFameNomination-Guidelines2023-2024

Deadline has been extended to January 14, 2024.

The nomination form MUST be used.  Read the guidelines. 

Members of the Hall of Fame are listed on the reverse of the nomination form.

Nominations can be mailed to Park Forest Historical Society, 227 Monee Road, Park Forest, IL  60466,

or dropped off at that address Tuesday or Wednesday mornings 9-12.  

They can also be emailed via the website to President Chris Janota or to Vice-President/Archivist Jane Nicoll.

The 30th Annual Induction Ceremony and Reception will be held at Freedom Hall on April 14, 2024.

2022 Park Forest Hall of Fame Booklet

Read the 2022 Park Forest Hall of Fame Booklet

to read about the 2022 Inductees.

2021 Hall of Fame Inductees

ANN HERNANDEZ

Public safety, public welfare, and public schools were the three elements of the late Anne Hernandez’s public life.

Born in Massachusetts in 1947, the daughter of an FBI agent, her family moved to Park Forest in 1963, where she attended Mohawk Elementary School and graduated from Rich East
High School. After receiving leadership training at both Governors State University and National College of Education in Evanston, she quickly became involved in school affairs and was first elected to the School District 163 board in 1969 at the age of 22. She quickly became a voice for schools by organizing residents to help renovate Blackhawk School playground equipment and in 1972 was co-chairman and member of a citizen’s committee planning desegregation for the Illinois Office of Education.

In the fall of 1972, Ann helped organize the Park Forest-Chicago Heights “Light Brigade, which in eight weeks overcame eight years of indecision by both communities and
the state, securing a traffic light at the intersection of Western Avenue and Beacon Boulevard to help facilitate the movement of school buses. Those Saturday marches in all kinds of
weather may have angered motorists but led to the needed light.

An organizer and mover, in 1976 she was named the director of the Center for Economic Development Authority (CEDA) in Harvey, which serves more than 10,00 persons each
year. Throughout her public life, she campaigned for safety and pollution controls on trucks that used Sauk Trail as a passage to and from the I-57 interchange and contributed numerous articles for both the Park Forest Reporter and the Park Forest Star.

Married and the mother of two children (Joseph and David), she was stricken with an intestinal inflammation and died in 2008 at the age of 61.

 

DR. JEROME KHARASCH

After completing his medical residency in Chicago, in 1957 Dr. Kharasch and his wife Sheila moved to Park Forest; first to a house on Waverly Street and later to a house on Monee Road. For the next 16 years, he quickly became involved with both the health aspects and civic affairs of the community. Well known as an obstetrical surgeon through his 16 years of medical practice at both St. James Hospital in Chicago Heights and Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Dr. Kharasch was a vital force in the political life of the community.

In 1967 he led opposition to a proposed referendum to build a nine-hole golf course in Central Park, thereby preserving the space for future generations. He established  "Community Now” to address issues of poverty and education among surrounding communities and was deeply committed to issues relating to both poverty and education in Park Forest and surrounding communities.

Despite being a busy physician with fellow doctor Jerome Warren, Dr. Kharasch was a committed activist for the health and well-being of the community and was dedicated to
numerous liberal political projects. During the height of the Vietnam War, Dr. Kharasch co-founded an anti-war group “Democrats for Free Debate in Vietnam” which became a
vehicle where he was able to run as a delegate to the 1968 Democratic Convention pledged to Senator Robert F. Kennedy. 

The Kharasch family were parents of five sons; Ira, Sigmund, Morris, Isidore, and Dean. In 1974, Dr. Kharasch moved to Israel, where he did cancer research at the Weizmann Institute and later returned to general practice at Tel Aviv University. After spending the last 29 years of his life there, Dr. Kharasch died in 2003.

 

YUAN LIANG

The late Yuan Liang was the longest-standing cardholder in the history of the Park Forest Public Library and was a revered presenter for 18 years at the library’s Potpourri series sharing expertise on his world travels, the National Park Service, and the work of artist Norman Rockwell. He also served as an ambassador at library events. Born in Canton, China, the youngest of six children. At one time his father was the Chinese ambassador to Australia. After China was invaded by Japan, Liang was sent to Hong Kong where he completed his high school education and met his wife, Olivia. Married in 1947 they came to the United States as graduate students the following year.

At one time Liang worked in the marketing department of the Chicago Tribune, and in 1958 was named the assistant research director for the City of Chicago planning department. He started his own demographics company which was the first to compile complete demographic data for the county’s five-digit zip codes. 

The Liangs joined Faith United Protestant Church in November 1957. Yuan’s influence and support were multifaceted and consistent throughout until the time of his passing. He was especially instrumental in two projects there - the Millennium Fund, a fund whose interest is used for various long-term projects, and a columbarium, where his ashes lie today.

Yuan was an active 30-year member of Rich Township AARP and delivered opening prayers for Rich Township Senior Center holiday parties and for AARP chapter meetings. In 1958, Liangs were the first family to move into the Lincolnwood subdivision. In 2004, Yuan and Olivia moved to Brookdale Senior Living in Olympia Fields, where they lived until Olivia's death in 2012. In his 90s, Yuan married Mary Chisholm in 2017. Sadly, both Yuan and Mary died within one month of each other in early 2021.

 

"COLONEL" MILAN PLAVSIC

Called “Colonel” due to becoming a member of the Honorary Association of Kentucky Colonels in his youth, Milan Plavsic was dedicated to protecting citizens as Public Safety Director for the growing village of Park Forest.

Under his leadership, in less than 10 years the Park Forest Police Department more than doubled its force, growing from nine officers in 1952 to 19 in 1962. He instilled a sense of pride with new uniforms, distinctive pie-shaped badges, hats, and a patch featuring the village Clock Tower. During his 10 year tenure, Colonel Plavsic was an innovative leader in the field of law enforcement, serving as President of the Illinois Chiefs of Police Association and technical adviser for the Illinois Police Training Academy at the University of Illinois.

Plavsic was the first recipient of the Park Forest Jaycees “Citizen of the Year” award in 1961. He was instrumental in the construction of the police facility at the corner of Lakewood and Forest Boulevards on a 2 and one-half acre site donated by American Community Builders. Under his guidance, Plavsic created the police response to the first African American family’s moving into the village in 1959, insuring a peaceful integration of the village. Concerned with juvenile misbehavior, Plavsic once urged the Park Forest Village Board to hire a psychologist with a background in casework with juveniles. 

After retiring in 1963, Plavsic moved to Michigan and served on numerous youth protection committees in both Michigan and Texas. From 1970 to 1978 he was a township supervisor in Clare County, Michigan. Upon hearing about the Park Forest Historical Society in the late 1990s, he sent a letter reflecting on his service, along with photos and
articles.

Milan and his wife Eloise raised 7 or 8 children. Colonel Plavsic died on February 15, 1998, at the age of 91.


JOHN LOGAN SCOTT

The late John Scott was the second Village Manager of Park Forest, serving from 1953 to 1962. In his 1996 oral history interview, he said “how fortunate” he was that the caliber of both Board of Trustees and the citizenry helped shape his tenure.

He came to Park Forest after serving as Finance Director of Winnetka. His wife Eleanor said Park Forest was his “favorite job because of the newness and spirit of the “created community.” Scott helped set the budget for the new Village government, planned and helped raise funds for the three separate buildings that would comprise the Public Safety
Building, as well as helping oversee the construction of the Village Hall on Forest Boulevard.

In 1959 he was instrumental in peacefully integrating Park Forest at a time when communities around the country experienced violence. When a mob formed in the summer of 1959 at the rumor of a potential home sale to an African American family, Scott worked with Village President Robert Dinerstein and the Commission on Human Relations to draft a “Statement of Village Policy” regarding the integration of Negro families, which affirmed that Park Forest will extend equal services to the protection of the law it affords to any other resident in the village.

Scott helped negotiate the purchase of the water plant from the developers for $3 million and was instrumental in the construction of Orchard Drive through the Lincolnwood
subdivision with two underpasses. John was also involved in the successful referendum campaign to build the first public library building and the Parks and Recreation center in Westwood Junior High.

Scott went on to serve in Greenwich, Connecticut and Santa Barbara, California. He passed away in 2012.

 

H. THURBER STOWELL

The now 100-year-old H. Thurber Stowell’s impact on Park Forest remains undiminished some 70 years after he, his wife Gladys, and their children moved to the embryonic community of Park Forest.

Finding there was no kindergarten on the Will County end of town, along with some 12 other families, they formed a group to form one. American Community Builders provided an empty residence, the families hired a teacher, and soon some 30 children were enrolled in the facility. That experience underlined Thurb’s public life in the village; involvement in local government helps shape the community’s future. In 1954 he was appointed to the Plan Commission and soon became its chairman. Because of the village’s mushrooming growth, the Commission met two times a month where, as an architect with city planning training, he became an advocate for and advisor on the Orchard Drive railroad underpasses.

He worked with Hall of Fame members Leo Orsi, Lynn Brenne, and Blaine “Bud” Osterling in shaping the village’s future. In 1959, he was called to chair the Commission on Human Relations and played a vital part in the peaceful integration of the village at a time when communities across the country experienced unrest. In a report to the Board of Trustees, Stowell wrote that the key to peaceful integration was to uphold the law that permitted anyone to own and occupy property. Along with Village President Bob Dinerstein and Village Manager John Scott, Thurb was responsible for the now-famous letter of how Village employees should respond to the first Negro move-in. On December 24, 1959, Charles Z. Wilson and his family became the first to integrate Park Forest, accomplished peacefully due to the foresight of the Commission’s recommendations, and the actions of many Village officials and residents. 

The Stowell family moved in 1962 and he pursued an illustrious career in architecture.

2015 Hall of Fame Inductees

JOAN BOGAR CRABB

Her cat may get nine lives, but Joan Bogar Crabb has lived two of her own in Park Forest. From the late 1950s to the early 1980s Joan was a homemaker and mother of four. She moved on to new jobs and to care for aging parents. Her second life in Park Forest was to return in 2006 to community involvement and to live in one of our original townhomes.

Joan was instrumental in the formation of the Park Forest Art Center, which continues today as the Tall Grass Art Center offering an art gallery, instruction, and an annual art fair.
She served as a writer for the Park Forest Reporter and Star Publications, then Copley News Service. Joan serves as newsletter editor for the Thorn Creek Audubon Society, which provides a yearly series on birds and environmental issues, environmental education for school children, a Hummingbird Festival, and Wetlands bluebird houses.

Joan resides proudly in Park Forest Cooperatives. These uniquely historical residences offer green space, access to public transportation, and a sense of community in which one can “think globally and act locally.” Joan embodies the tradition of Park Foresters working to make the world a better place.

 

MAUREEN CRIBBS

Two words closely associated with Maureen Cribbs and her contributions to Park Forest are “artist” and “teacher.” Having arrived in Park Forest in 1956 with husband Jim and daughters, Cindy and Valerie, Maureen taught for a year at Raygor Day School, and one year as a Kindergarten teacher at Talala School. From 1963 to 1978 she taught at Blackhawk Junior High, then a year in the ALPS program at Rich East. She has taught at Chicago and Governors State Universities, and at Robert Morris College. 

Maureen has had a continuing connection with Tall Grass Arts Association almost since its inception. She served two years as volunteer director of the school, has had two single-person gallery exhibits, has done demonstrations in art-making, and is presently a board member, serving on Art Fair committees. She is a Presenter for the Art Insights program of the Art Institute, and a docent for Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park. Early on she served on Park Forest Orchestra's board and painted sets for Children's Community Theater.

She is an active member of Grace United Protestant Church, having served as Chair of the Administrative Board for ten years. For more than 20 years she has served as a SPRED mentor.

 

JUDY DOLAN MENDELSON

For many years, Judy Dolan Mendelson has performed the Herculean task of overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Thorn Creek Nature Center. She serves as a liaison between Thorn Creek Management Commission and nature center staff, training naturalists, coordinating volunteers, developing programs, designing displays, pamphlets, and more. After years with the Forest Preserve of Will County, she is secretary of Friends of Thorn Creek Woods and edits the quarterly newsletter. Judy was an early strong voice in the local organic
movement. She introduced organic produce at Park Forest Farmers Market and worked with the Food Co-op to make it more readily available.

With her husband Jon, she has been caretaker of the 1900s Hornicek farm within Thorn Creek Woods, Illinois’ second certified organic farm. Every year, the 1200 garlic bulbs grown on the farm are the centerpiece of the popular Garlic Fest, drawing hundreds of visitors and bringing much-needed funds to the center’s operations budget. What Judy does every year on the farm she also does on a larger scale for her community, for Thorn Creek, and for the Nature Center. She takes limited resources, nurtures them, brings them to fruition, and shares them with the world. 

 

JON MENDELSON

The late Jon Mendelson was a local teacher, field ecologist, land preservationist, and writer. Though a scholarly and somewhat private person, Jon touched the lives of many people through his classes, nature center programs, writings, scientific papers, as well as presentations at the Open Space Congress, Thorn Creek Ecosystem Partnership, and community meetings. Jon’s ecology courses at GSU inspired generations of students. His nature essays graced the pages of Thorn Creek News. Jon’s words were lyrical, often provocative,  sometimes whimsical, but always made one want to know more about nature.

A dedicated champion of open space, and a force of nature in his own right, he worked tirelessly to acquire land for Thorn Creek Woods and to study and protect local watersheds. He provided leadership and vision as chair of the Management Commission, president of Friends of Thorn Creek Woods, and board member for the Land Conservancy of Will  County.

He was himself part of the flora and fauna of Thorn Creek. For thirty years he was caretaker for the historic farm nestled in the woods. At October’s Garlic Fest, Jon once again showed visitors the finer points of growing organic garlic as he so often did, teaching, guiding, and inspiring through words and example.


BRUCE L. NEEL

In more than three decades in Park Forest, Bruce Neel was always able to take time away from his job as an accountant for Swift meat-packing, and later for a Chicago accounting firm, to serve the people of Park Forest. As a young father, he coached, managed, and sometimes umpired Boys Baseball for seven years. More recently he organized a group of Park Foresters for the sad but necessary task of sewing shrouds for children in earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

Bruce volunteers at Respond Now, working on behalf of impoverished and homeless people, as a finance officer and by soliciting food, clothing, and money. Bruce is dedicated in his work with Grace United Protestant Church, where he has served on the Finance Committee for several years, has taught Sunday School, and has served as treasurer for fourteen years. There, inspired by his wife’s work with this program at St. Lawrence O’Toole Church, he started the SPRED program, which provides a worship service, and gives spiritual and social nurture to special-needs residents of the Ludeman Development Center. Over more than 20 years he has befriended and mentored a series of Ludeman residents including his current friend whom he brings weekly to church.

 

DR. MAGNE B. OLSON

Dr. Magne B. Olson, Professor of History at Chicago State University, moved to Park Forest with his wife Judy in 1968. He became a member and committee chairman of the Area A Coop Board, and as father to Kristofer and Rachel, coached Girls Softball, and volunteered in Indian Princesses and Indian Guides.

Magne was a member of the Bicentennial Commission, 1974-77, working on Freedom Hall and Bicentennial events, helping to bring William Whyte back for a “20 Years After” speech. He served as an advisor to the "OH! Park Forest" oral history project. He joined the Park Forest Historical Society in 1985. Elected as the third president, during his tenure from 1987 to 2001, memberships and programming grew; the Hall of Fame began and inductions became annual; the "Prologue" newsletter started, and cable TV programs and interviews were produced. In 1998, his weekly column, "Forty Years Ago" appeared in the Park Forest Star. 

Magne served as an advisor to the South Suburban Heritage Association from 1989 to 1994, was eight years on the Park Forest Public Library Board, and five years on the Board of the Suburban Library System.

Even after moving out of the area, Magne returned for a number of years to serve as a weekly volunteer with the Historical Society's archival collection.

Dr. Olson passed away in November 2021.

 

JOHN PERRY

John Perry, the author of Blueprint for Building Community, served as Village Manager from 1982-1989 and Assistant Village Manager from 1972-1982. He saved the Aqua Center and Racquet Club, kept Marshall Fields an additional decade, and led the formation of IRMA, the first self-insurance pool.

John helped shape an affirmative action strategy for fair housing in the South Suburbs, including targeted marketing and community legal action. His team defeated a lawsuit by the National Association of Realtors, setting a nationwide standard for affirmative fair housing. 

In 1987, Marshall Fields announced it would leave the new development of the shopping center before the end of its lease, A Village-led, month-long initiative of petitions, PR, and demonstrations at the State Street store resulted in Fields agreeing to remain under a revised lease as anchor of the redevelopment in Park Forest for another decade. 

When the Chicago YMCA announced plans in 1983 to close the Aqua Center, John convinced the village trustees to purchase the facility, then led a volunteer cleanup crew to prepare it for opening day. Less than a year later, when financing for the Racquet Club was withdrawn, John again negotiated a Village purchase. Both of these facilities continue in operation today.

FRIENDS OF THORN CREEK WOODS

Formed in 1969 as Thorn Creek Preservation Association, Friends of Thorn Creek Woods is a citizens' activist group responsible for preserving the 985 acres of pre-settlement
woodland landscape, Thorn Creek Woods. They helped secure its dedication as an Illinois Nature Preserve on June 4, 1978, and to form the unique inter-governmental Management Commission to oversee the preserve as one, single preserve, owned by several entities. 

Against all obstacles, and there were many, Friends' efforts ensured permanent protection for this land--a unique open space that enhances Park Forest and the entire region.

The preservation of Thorn Creek Woods is a history of people. Through the years, over 1,500 people organized and fought to preserve the woods. They staff the nature center, develop exhibits, lead programs, build trails, monitor species, and raise funds for programs and improvements. 

Thousands of visitors experience wildness in these woods--the centerpiece of an expanding network of open space in the south suburbs. Young and old, groups and individuals, schools and families, walk the trails, enjoy nature programs and explore the Nature Center. The Preserve profoundly influences the way volunteers, children, and adults think about nature. Friends of Thorn Creek Woods make all this possible.

2020 Hall of Fame Inductees

KATHERINE "KATIE" FELT ARMSTRONG

Throughout her life, Katie Armstrong was a passionate supporter and fierce advocate for all things “green”.

Katie, her husband Jesse, and their growing family moved to Park Forest. When the last of 10 Armstrong children were born, she earned a Bachelor and Master of Science Degree from Governors State University and plunged into an ever-active role in the civic life of the village. 

She was an early member and a long-time volunteer at the South Suburban Food Co-op. A longtime “peace promoter” she led the Women’s Peace Protest group, serving as President of the South Suburban chapter and as a “Draft Educator” counseling young men on how to legally avoid the draft. She served on the Committee for Non-Partisan Local Government. 

A forceful advocate for the environment, Katie volunteered at Thorn Creek Nature Center, was on the Park Forest Environment Commission, and worked with the Thorn Creek Eco-partnership through Governors State to keep Thorn Creek uncontaminated. She helped get a shutoff valve for the oil pipeline next to the Park Forest Wetlands Reclamation Area along the entire right-of-way through Park Forest. In 2002, she served one term on the Park Forest Village Board as a strong advocate for her causes. She was involved in “The Green Party” and a group working for a South Suburban Trauma Center.

She died at the age of 93 in September 2018. 

 

JUNE DEFOE

For nearly six decades, June Defoe and her family were tightly stitched into the web of life in Park Forest. In 1952, June Defoe, her husband Hal, and their three children moved to the fledgling community of Park Forest, and during the next 57 years, they made their home at 303 Oakwood a community showcase, winning more than 20 Village Beautification Awards.

For more than 30 years, June was a teacher in School District 163, bringing fun and love into her kindergarten rooms, and her methods, techniques, and instructions kept the interest of her students. Her efforts were rewarded in 1963 when she received the District’s Teacher of the year award. During the 1960s, she used her educational skills and her love of children to teach Sunday School at Hope Lutheran Church, and from 1997 until her death in December 2009, was an active member of Faith United Protestant Church. June was the den mother for the Cub Scout Pack in which her three sons, Skip, Ron, and Bob were members, as well as became a volunteer at the Coke Shack when her children were involved in the village's youth baseball league.

ANNA BONITA DILLARD & ROY R. DILLARD

Roy and Bonita Dillard moved into Park Forest on a snowy February day in 1968 and brought with them a warmth for the community that could melt the fiercest storm. In fact, that day the snow was so deep their moving truck became stuck. Nothing could stop the Dillards, however.

Through the years Bonita Dillard took an active role with The Homemakers, Brownies, Girl Scouts, and as a Cub Scout Leader. She also served as a Sunday school teacher at Faith United Protestant Church, Hickory Hill School home mother, Kiwanis Club President, a Village Trustee for 14 years, and was an active member in Fellowship for Action, and the Gavin Foundation. Her love, passion, and commitment to Park Forest has always been evident, and remains to this very day.

Roy Dillard owned a successful exterminating business servicing the south suburbs. He was a coach for youth football through the Parks and Recreation Department and was instrumental in the implementation of the Dr. King Room in Freedom Hall. Roy still volunteers for School District 163 and hosts the Dr. King concerts in Freedom Hall. Both the Dillard children, Marla and Rod, exemplified their parents’ involvement in the village, taking part in sports, marching band, and speech teams.

 

JANET FIORENZO

Whatever the cause, whatever the event, you can be sure Janet Fiorenzo is involved. For the last 22 years, or since she purchased Tower Cleaners, she has accrued an impressive list of ongoing contributions to Park Forest and improvements to the lives of its residents. She cleans tablecloths for School District 163, the Park Forest Public Library, and the Police  Department. Altar linens and robes for all faiths. Rugs, doll clothes, and vintage garments for the Historical Society. And all donated clothing and bedding for the Veterans Closet.

In addition, she supports activities of St. Irenaeus Catholic Church, the Kiwanis Club, Pancake Day, the Village’s “Safe Halloween,” and Youth Day. Because of her commitment to the arts, in 2015 she was honored at the Tall Grass Arts Association annual ball, and in 2016 was honored by the local Speakers, Publishers, and Authors Association. A resident of  South Chicago Heights, she is a member of the village’s Library Board, the local Kiwanis Club and helps prepare and distribute holiday baskets for families in need.

For all this and more she is the first person to be twice named Park Forest’s Business Person of the Year, winning the award first in 2009 and again last year.

 

EDWIN FIZER

“A civil rights hero, a military service hero, and national treasure” were the words used in his nomination form to describe Ed Fizer. 

A resident of Park Forest for 41 years, Fizer served on numerous boards and commissions for both Cook County and the Village and became the first chair of the newly established Veterans Commission in the village. 

Shortly after the United States World War II began, Fizer enlisted in the Marine Corps and was sent to the segregated boot camp at Montford Point, N.C., before seeing combat action in the South Pacific. The Montford Point Marines were the first African American members of the Marine Corps and overcame prejudice to distinguish themselves in battle. His wartime experience is recorded in the Society’s “GI Stories from a GI Town” oral history project and by Pritzker Military Museum in Chicago. 

With the end of the war, Fizer first became an optometrist before joining the Chicago Police Department where he took an active role in protecting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on various occasions. 

In 2011 he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Barack Obama in a ceremony in which the Montford Point Marines were honored. When the Park Forest Veterans Commission was established in 2015, then-Mayor John A. Ostenburg noted that Fizer was a “perfect fit to be the chair.” Among the projects he administered were the Veterans Closet and Resource Center, which provides both free goods and services to all former armed forces personnel.

 

BRUCE ZIEGLE

A true Park Forest resident in every sense, Ziegle served the Village with the Parks and Recreation Department, working in numerous programs even before he graduated from Rich East High School in 1977. It was through his service as a volunteer member of the Fire Department that he found his life’s work. For the next 40 years, he helped protect the community. He became one of Park Forest’s paramedics in 1980, becoming a full-time member in 1986 earning a degree in Fire Management from Southern Illinois University.
He later taught fire-related classes as an instructor at Prairie State College. In 2013 he was named Park Forest’s Fire Marshall, a post he held until his retirement from the Park Forest Fire Department in 2017.

One of his greatest accomplishments was his dedication to the department which expressed itself in his ability to keep the Department outfitted with the best equipment. Through the years Ziegle was able to procure more than $1.5 million in grant money; funds that would have been paid for by the taxpayer or the Department would have gone without.

Since his retirement, Ziegle continued to live in Park Forest with his wife Julia in the home where they raised their children until they moved to Tennessee in October 2020.