Herbert (Herb) Faulks
May 28, 2008
Lake Forest Day and Herb Faulks will forever be inextricably tied together. In 1997, the Lake Forest City Council awarded Herb the unique title of “Mr. Lake Forest Day” in honor of his chairmanship of Lake Forest Day from 1964 to 2002. “Pa loved Lake Forest and Lake Forest Day, and always encouraged us to give as much as we could of our time and talent to our city and our church,” remembers his granddaughter Susie Athenson. “That’s why I volunteer so much.”

Benny Watters
September 8, 2010
Benny Watters was 2 years old when he was diagnosed with a brain stem tumor and only 5 ½ when he died. During the 33 months that he battled his tumor, he participated in five clinical trials and lent his name to the foundation his family founded—Benny’s World—to raise money to find a cure for this devastating disease. Benny’s happy spirit continues to be present in the lives of all who were lucky enough to have met him—especially his adoring older sisters, Lily and Bella, and his parents, Lisa and Brendan.

Francis (Frank) Farwell
November 21, 2010
Frank Farwell, former Lake Forest Mayor and the last local namesake of one of the City’s founders, was a charismatic, veteran partner with William Blair & Company of Chicago, whose investment banking career spanned nearly 60 years. He served as a Lake Forest alderman from 1976–1982 and as mayor from 1984–1987. As mayor, Frank oversaw the restoration of Lake Forest Beach, was responsible for acquiring the historic Ragdale property, and was instrumental in dramatically expanding CROYA (Lake Forest’s Committee Representing Our Young Adults).

Richard (Dick) and Ann Kuseski
August 14, 2008 and November 11, 2010
Never having had children of their own, Dick and Ann Kuseski spent their lives serving children with special needs—Dick coached children for Special Olympics, and Ann worked with children with auditory and learning disabilities. Upon their death, they left their entire estate to three organizations: Catholic Charities, Misericordia, and the Church of St. Mary. As a thank-you for the $947,000 the Kuseskis left to the parish, St. Mary’s named the school’s library the “Richard and Ann Kuseski Library” in a dedication ceremony on June 4, 2011.

Grace Groner
January 19, 2010
Grace Groner was born in a small Lake County farming community. By the time she was 12, both of her parents had died. She was taken in by the Anderson family, one of Lake Forest’s founding families, who raised her and her twin sister, Gladys. The Andersons paid for them to attend Lake Forest College. After Grace graduated in 1931, she was hired by Abbott Laboratories, where she worked as a secretary for 43 years. In 1935, she bought three $60 shares of specially issued Abbott stock and never sold them. The shares split many times over the next 70 years, and Grace reinvested the dividends. Upon her death at age 100, her $180 investment had grown to $7 million. She left this fortune to fund scholarships at her alma mater.

Wendy Bergseth
September 27, 2010
It’s impossible to think about local real estate without the kind, effervescent, and smart Wendy Bergseth coming to mind. As Executive Vice President and Lake Forest Sales Manager with a 25-year career in real estate and sales management, Wendy helped launch the Prudential Rubloff office in downtown Lake Forest in 2007. “It was a huge leap of faith for all of us to start this office,” Wendy said. “But I don’t have a single regret. What we’re building here is really something special.”

Alice Judson Hayes
October 13, 2006
Alice Hayes was the granddaughter of storied architect Howard Van Doren Shaw (who designed Market Square) and poet Frances Shaw. Her mother was distinguished sculptor Sylvia Shaw Judson. Alice herself was a poet, leader, and visionary who initiated The Ragdale Foundation in 1976 as an artists’ community to be housed on her family’s summer estate in Lake Forest. In 1986, she donated the property to the City of Lake Forest. Susan Tillett, Ragdale’s Executive Director, says, “Alice saved Ragdale by giving it away. I am glad that she will live on in all who discover, know, and love Ragdale.”

Ronald (Ron) Shlifka
August 11, 2010
If you have a question about sporting equipment or bicycling and you live within driving distance of Market Square, there is only one place to go—Kiddles Sports. Bought by Ron Shlifka in 1968, Kiddles has set the standard for customer service for sports enthusiasts everywhere. “I am proud to have been in on the ground floor to see my store filled with health-minded products sold to our esteemed clientele by my dedicated son and grandsons,” Ron wrote on his website. “This has been quite a dream come true.”

Dr. John Ward
May 29, 2005
Dr. John Ward, certified in primary care internal medicine, opened his practice in Lake Bluff on May 9, 1946, the same city he called home until his passing. Continuing to see patients well into his 80’s, Dr. Ward counted more than 20,000 patients as part of his practice—making him one of the longest serving staff members at Lake Forest Hospital. Known around town as having a booming voice, Dr. Ward kicked off Lake Bluff’s 4th of July celebration with his rendition of the National Anthem in 1981. This became a tradition he continued for nearly two decades.

Max Schewitz
September 29, 2005
Max died six years ago from sudden cardiac death (SCD). He left his house one Saturday morning to go to work at the Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest and collapsed. His condition was caused by an irregular heartbeat that is common in young adults under 35. From Max’s death, his parents started the Max Schewitz Foundation, which supports two causes. First, the “Screens for Teens” program is a cardiac screening, where Max’s mother, Mary Beth Schewitz, and a team cardiologist visit area schools and provide free EKG tests to check for irregular heartbeats. The second cause is the ongoing conservation and preservation of our delicate ecosystem, one of Max’s greatest passions.

—Ann Marie Scheidler