Longtime Sycamore school board president Jim Dombek dies at 68

SYCAMORE – Longtime Sycamore school board president Jim Dombek has died, District 427 Superintendent Steve Wilder announced Tuesday.

Dombek, who served as the board president for the past 25 years, died Monday at the age of 68. He’d been absent from most, but not all, school board meetings over the past four months.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the sudden passing of Board of Education President, Mr. James (Jim) J. Dombek. Since his election in 1997, Mr. Dombek has served our school district with unwavering dedication,” Wilder wrote in an email sent to Sycamore families Tuesday morning. “His passion for education, commitment to students, and tireless volunteerism have left a lasting mark on our community. He was truly a Spartan at heart, always striving to make our schools a better place for everyone.”

Dombek was born in Yonkers, New York, but earned an undergraduate degree in DeKalb County at Northern Illinois University. He earned a Doctor of Law degree at the IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law in Chicago and received a Master of Arts in Theology at Loras College in Dubuque.

He was a Permanent Deacon for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford, was ordained in 1991 and since 2016 worked at Resource Bank.

Dombek dedicated his life to family, friends and church, according to his obituary.

“He will be remembered for his kindness, wisdom, and unwavering integrity. His legacy will live on in the lives of those he touched and the institutions he helped shape,” according to his obituary.

In a social media post, Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County staff said Dombek believed in the organization’s mission to help those in the community obtain a decent, affordable place to live.

“Jim was our legal confidant, assisted us in preparing our bylaws, policies and paperwork that dealt with our partner families, and a friend to our organization. Jim often sat quietly in board meetings to help us understand legal sides of discussions, and often offered many thoughtful and provoking comments when necessary,” Habitat for Humanity staff wrote.

In his email, Wilder wrote that the board president had also dedicated more than a quarter of a century to the Sycamore school district.

“Throughout his 27 years of service, Mr. Dombek poured countless hours into ensuring that our district remained a place of excellence. His leadership and guidance have been essential in shaping the educational experiences of thousands of students. His absence will be deeply felt by all who knew him,” Wilder wrote.

The Sycamore Pumpkin Festival Committee also expressed condolences in a social media post, noting Dombek’s impact on the city’s signature fall event.

“Jim was the legal adviser to the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival Committee and the parade announcer for more than 20 years. He was dedicated to the founding principals of Mr. Pumpkin, Wally Thurow, in having the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival remain a family-oriented festival run by DeKalb County not-for-profit groups and community organizations. We will miss him,” the committee wrote.

A visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Butala Funeral Home, 1405 DeKalb Ave., in Sycamore, and again from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday at Newman Catholic Student Center, 512 Normal Road in DeKalb. A funeral Mass for Dombek also will be held at the church following the visitation. His family has requested donations to the Dombek Family Community Service Scholarship Fund, through the DeKalb County Community Foundation, in lieu of flowers.

State Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, said Dombek made Sycamore a better city to live in.

“We have people in our community that consistently stand up and take the burden of leadership and volunteerism over and above what many in our community our willing do to, and Jim Dombek was one of those people,” Keicher said. “He was active and engaged in the community, and Sycamore is a better place for him having been a part of it.”

School board member Eric Jones posted on social media to convey his “heavy heart” after he learned of Dombek’s death. Jones served with Dombek for more than a decade on the board. In an email to Shaw Local News Network on Tuesday, Jones said Dombek was a volunteer, leader and mentor to many.

“His endless generosity was deeply felt by the organizations he supported and the community he served,” Jones wrote. “Through his nearly 27 years on the Board of Education, 25 as Board President, he led with patience and integrity. Despite numerous fiscal and societal challenges, Jim always did what he thought was best for the community and best for the learners. I don’t know how many students were handed a diploma by him over the years, but whether they knew it or not, it was a privilege he looked forward to and a community icon who will not be replaced. May we ever be inspired to give of ourselves the way that he did in his time with us, and may we meet again amongst the angels where Jim now resides.”

Dombek last attended a school board meeting in May, prompting district officials to grapple with his absence during a July board meeting.

As a result of that discussion, a special school board meeting to review policies regarding the role and absence of a board president was planned for 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Wilder wrote that the board will adhere to district policy regarding the vacancy of the board president.

“The board of education will follow the necessary protocol to fill the vacancy of Board President left by his passing. While we navigate this difficult time, we ask the community to join us in honoring his privacy.”

School board Vice President Michael DeVito, who helped stand in for Dombek in his absences, said he was still processing the late president’s death Tuesday morning.

It was Dombek, in fact, who handed DeVito his high school diploma when he graduated years ago.

“It is very sad how sudden it happened, and their privacy was the utmost importance, and that privacy is something that I still want to try and respect as best as possible.” DeVito said. “That’s where I think these last few months have been extraordinarily difficult, just because Jim’s been going through hell. I can’t begin to imagine his fight, and the struggle that he went through, and we’re learning that now.”