La Grange Park park district leader remembered for being great coach, teacher

LA GRANGE PARK – If it wasn't for longtime La Grange Park resident William Yena, the Community Park District of La Grange Park wouldn't exist.

Yena was a well-known and well-respected community leader who has been described as the face of La Grange Park. He was the first director of the Park District and a coach and mentor for hundreds of area children.

Yena, who also taught physical education at Forest Road School and Park Junior High School for many years, died Sept. 14 at the age of 85.

Yena grew up in South Bend, Ind., and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education and education administration from Western Michigan University. He moved to La Grange Park to take a teaching position at Forest Road and later taught at Park Junior High, where he also coached many sports.

Yena developed the Park District’s recreation department and all of its programming, and he was the director for more than 30 years. He continued to serve on the Board of Commissioners as president for many more years after he left his position as director. He was instrumental in helping the district build its current recreation facility in 2006, and Yena Park, located at 29th Street and Harrison Avenue, was named for him.

Peggy Ronovsky, office manager at the Park District, knew Yena for about 30 years and said he is the reason the district exists.

“He is the face of our Park District and was just an amazing guy,” she said. “He was very important, and it’s just a great loss. He was La Grange Park.”

Elaine Layden, a park board member, said Yena was the reason she joined the board. She said he was a champion of girls’ sports, and she was looking for opportunities for her daughter to get involved in Park District activities.

“He started a very popular softball program in the 80s,” she explained. “He knew all the kids by name. I never saw him lose his temper. The kids loved him because everybody got to play. I was very impressed the more I got to know him because he loved the kids and was dedicated to giving everyone an opportunity to experience success. He was known and very well-respected by everyone in the community. We need more guys like him around.”

Mark Kubik not only had Yena as a coach and teacher, but he also later worked alongside him as a physical education teacher at Park Junior High from 1985 until Yena’s retirement in 1990.

“He took pride in everything he did and was respected by all for his professionalism,” he said. “Mr. Yena did everything right. He was fair and went by the book when teaching, and he did it well. He was a perfect gentleman and an excellent teacher. We were blessed.”

Yena’s grandson, Matt Yena, helped organize a celebration of life for his grandfather on Sept. 24 at the Community Park District of La Grange Park’s facility. Community members visited with the family to share memories of Yena.

Matt Yena said he and his grandfather were very close and described him as a man who cared deeply about his community.

“He taught me a lot of life lessons, from being a husband, father, teacher and coach,” he said. “Other than his family, two things were important to him: the Park District and teaching. They were the pillars of his life. He’s been recognized as one of the most influential people in La Grange Park, and I’m really going to miss him.”

William Yena is survived by Jean, his wife of 63 years; four children, John (Mary) Yena, Nancy Yena, Larry (Peggy) Yena and Barbara Yena; grandchildren Michael (Kiley) Yena, Matthew (Megan) Yena, Mark Yena, Steven (Stephanie) Yena and Casey (Michael) Stahl; and great-grandchildren Griffin, Hunter and William Yena; and his brother Richard (Phyllis) Yena. Funeral services have already been held.