SAM BEBER
The list of achievements for Sam Beber (1902-1976) extends from serving the needs of his Jewish identity to partnering in establishing the village of Park Forest and helping to transform the ancient city of Ashdod into Israel’s largest seaport.
At the age of 22, magna cum laude graduate of Creighton University in Omaha, Beber organized AZA, the initials of Aleph-Zadik-Aleph, into a Jewish boy’s counterpoint to Greek letter college fraternities. Within a few years, the boys’ group, along with a girls’ division, BBG, became the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization. Sam later founded a camp for Jewish youth still in existence.
One of Beber’s “disciples” was Philip Klutznick, who enrolled in AZA and later served as President of the B’nai B’rith. Beber, a Russian born attorney, became the brother-in-law of Philip Klutznick, who became president of American Community Builders, developers of Park Forest, and worked with Klutznick on numerous projects throughout his life. Sam became executive vice-president and counsel to ACB. When Klutznick left Park Forest to lead B’nai B’rith, Sam remained helping to run the development. At one time Beber’s residence was 91 Monee Road, a few houses down from the Klutznick home, both homes designed by nephew Bud Fitch.
In the 1950s, Beber worked with Klutznick in his development of Ashdod, which Klutznick recalled, “consisted of nothing but sand dunes, a few houses and a small power station.” Today high-rise buildings dot the city which has a population of 225,000.
Beber was active in numerous civic and philanthropic organizations, serving on the national board of the Boy Scouts, the Jewish Welfare Board, and the United Jewish Appeal.
GREGORY C. RANDALL
Greg Randall’s family moved in 1952 to Ash Street then to 157 Algonquin Street until 1957 when father John, an “Organization Man”, moved them to Chicago Heights.
Greg remained connected to the village during his Marian High School years through close friends and relatives. Now, as historian, novelist and non-fiction writer, he has used the village and area for many of his stories. Park Forest became for him his hometown, the place of his earliest memories.
He studied architectural and industrial design at Kent State and completed a bachelor’s in landscape architecture at Michigan State.
From 1971 until 1993 he worked as a designer then senior principal, project manager with planning and design firms in San Francisco. His works included many planned residential communities, corporate campuses, retail centers and high-density residential complexes which received numerous awards.
From 1993-2020 he served as principal and president of Randall Planning and Design of Walnut Creek, California, a landscape and architectural planning firm specializing in large-scale residential communities.
He developed a lifelong interest in the history of planned communities which in 1994 led him to begin researching Park Forest. He rediscovered the attributes, qualities, and history of Park Forest as the seminal post-war planning concept that inaugurated the suburbs of today and guided his writing of America’s Original GI Town, published in 2000, revised in 2010.
Greg used and credited many of our images and quoted oral histories bringing attention to our Archive from national museums, authors and publishers.
This book serves as a scholarly, incredibly thorough study of how Park Forest came to be developed and built the way it was. He covers every aspect of the subject—history of the principals of American Community Builders, planning and design, construction methods, the social and political development of the village, and his own projections as a planner.
Randall is now a prolific murder mystery author.
VERNICE JOHNSON-WARREN
A lifelong resident of Park Forest, Vernice Johnson-Warren was a founding member of the Youth Commission and served as the Vice-Chair and Chair during her 15 years on it. She was actively involved in the annual Youth Day program, the Park Forest Carnival,
the Youth Job Fair, as well as numerous activities connected with the youth and families of the village and surrounding communities.
Her unwavering commitment and dedication have played an integral role in the life of the community.
For the last seven years she has been on the board of and is currently the Vice-chair of the Will County Community Health Center. Here, she represents the eastern portion of Will County (from Crete to Frankfort). The Center now has a clinic in Monee, making it easier for
residents to access care closer to home.
Vernice also served as President of the Talala School PTO, and during her tenure, changed the status of the PTO to a not-for-profit and wrote grants to revitalize and renew the school’s playground equipment as well as update the school’s interior and provide funds so that no
students need to pay for class-sponsored trips.
Along with Park Forest resident Kim Schaefer, she began a Haunts Against Hunger Halloween fundraiser to help feed families at local food pantries by turning the Talala School gym into a haunted house with an entrance fee of non-perishable food. For 16 years, this program has brought awareness to the need for food donations to those who are in need.
Vernice is a Kiwanis member, once Club President, and is an owner of Flamin’ Hotties Chili.
BETSY WILLIAMS
Whether it was her volunteer efforts to feed the hungry or helping to raise money for projects that touched the lives of Park Forest residents, Betsy Williams has helped untold thousands for more than 30 years.
In her role as Food Service Manager for Rich Township High School District 227, she has impacted lives by providing support to both students and their families. During the COVID crisis, from the day the country “closed down” in March 2020, the district’s Food Service Department provided meals to any family, regardless of where they lived, through curbside drive-up service.
Her staff was brave and creative, sewing their own masks, redesigning school kitchens into assembly lines, erecting tents, collecting bags and boxes, and hoping that volunteers would help. Meals for up to seven days for every child in a household were prepared, boxed, and distributed from curbside tents in all kinds of weather. In the first year, she estimates more than two million meals were provided.
This service continued until students returned to school for the 2021-22 school year.
She established links with churches and the Chicago Food Depository and created the School Food Pantry on the Fine Arts and Communications campus in Richton Park. Students play a large part in running the pantry.
Williams was a Girl Scout leader, raised funds for the Park Forest baseball and softball programs, has twice won the Illinois State Board of Education “Award of Excellence”, former treasurer for the Kiwanis Club of Park Forest, and is on the board of South Suburban Diversity Dinners. She was the fundraising chair for the Crete-Monee Show Choir for over 8 years and a PTSO member.
JANETTE RODRIGUEZ WOOD
You may know her as the Rock Queen of Park Forest for her delivery of more than one thousand “kindness” rocks, decorated with inspirational messages, which she believes spreads a positive tone throughout Park Forest. She has been an ardent volunteer since she came to Park Forest at the age of nine.
As a teen and adult, she led or took part in various programs at Faith United Protestant and Trinity Lutheran Churches, taught Sunday school and led the children’s choir at Grace United Protestant and was youth guitar mass leader at St. Irenaeus.
Janette met husband Warren at an Aunt Martha’s function and together they became foster parents for runaway and foster youth before having two children of their own.
As a mother, she served on multiple boards and in support roles, Grace Nursery School Board, with team sports and treasurer of the Algonquin School PTSO and for seven years as scorekeeper for her daughter’s softball games.
Janette put herself through college, graduating from Prairie State College as a registered nurse and later from Governors State University with a degree in Healthcare Administration. Then, for more than 20 years, she worked as a home care visiting nurse in the South Suburbs, including with the Village’s Nurses Plus.
Her rock projects began during the early months of the COVID epidemic. What started as a creative outlet has become her passion, and her rocks are sprinkled throughout the community. They have been left in parks, book and food boxes, the Downtown area, and churches. She is now involved in creating rocks for “Somonauk Sam, the Slithery Snake,” which winds its way through newly restored Somonauk Park.
WARREN J. WOOD
A life-long resident of Park Forest, Warren Wood has been dedicated to village activities and service programs throughout his years.
A product of local schools Warren took part in scouting activities from Cub Scouts to Explorers, earning the God and Country Award for his work with a migrant daycare program, focusing on recreational activities for children.
After graduating from Western Illinois University with a degree in psychology and minors in sociology/anthropology and law enforcement administration, Warren returned to Park Forest and began his life’s work with Aunt Martha’s Youth Service Center for more than 40 years and comprising more than 30 community-based programs for youth, adults, and families, including childcare, Head Start, youth participation, job training, substance abuse prevention and treatment, violence prevention, juvenile justice diversion, foster care, teen parenting, homelessness, mentoring, after-school programs and more.
He served on several county and state-wide boards and coalitions, including three terms as President of the Illinois Prevention Steering Committee.
Influenced by Grace United Protestant Church and its Youth Fellowship, he later taught Sunday School and eventually became its superintendent. He coached his daughter’s Girls Softball team for eight years and served on the Girls Softball board.
Warren served three times as President and as a board member of the Ash Street Housing Cooperative.
After retiring from his distinguished career in social work, he continues to serve the community as a board member and docent for the Park Forest Historical Society. That is where this living legend will give you a tour and tell you about the history of our community when you visit.
