Goodbye and farewell: Significant losses in 2024

The man who helped take Riverside Medical Center from its infancy to a sprawling campus and another who led Shapiro Developmental Center for 40 years were two of the losses the region suffered in 2024.

Robert Miller, president of Riverside from 1964 to 1993, and Ira Collins, director of Shapiro from four decades, who both significantly impacted Kankakee County and beyond, died this year.

Their deaths, however, were far from being the only devastating losses.

Two former area mayors were lost; three mainstays in media and leaders in government, education and business; as well as a high school girls basketball player were among those who died.

ROBERT MILLER, 96

A man of vision, Miller most certainly saw what all residents in and around Kankakee County now see, and that is a state-of-the-art health care facility serving its community.

Opened on Jan. 12, 1964, as a 136-bed facility, Miller is one of just three to have led the organization, which is now not just the leader in the region’s field of healthcare but also Kankakee County’s largest employer.

Miller died April 9 in San Antonio, Texas.

“He built a hospital. It’s almost unimaginable to me,” said Phil Kambic, Riverside’s third president and CEO. “It’s almost overwhelming. Where do you start? It’s just incredible.”

Up until Riverside went from plans on an architect’s table to a brick-and-mortar reality, Kankakee County had been a one-hospital community, St. Mary’s Hospital, just west of downtown Kankakee.

IRA COLLINS, 87

Collins had perhaps the most impactful career of any one person when it came to the Shapiro Developmental Center facility in Kankakee.

Near the onset of his career, Collins was faced with the challenge of keeping the facility open as the state of Illinois had targeted the campus, then known as the Kankakee State Hospital, in 1973 for closure.

Collins led a movement to revamp how the facility would care for and educate those here and the transformation he led kept the location open.

In 1974, Collins was promoted to the position of facility director. He was so well thought of in 1986, the state not only had him direct Shapiro, but also the Howe Developmental Center.

He concluded his 42-year career at Shapiro in 2016. At the time of his retirement, he was the state’s longest-tenured director of a developmentally disabled center.

NORM GRIMSLEY, 82

He was simply known as Mr. Aroma Park.

Grimsley served a pair of 12-year stints as mayor the small community along the banks of the Kankakee River. His first tenure was from 1981-93 and the second from 1997-2009.

Grimsley died July 4.

During his tenure, and even after it, Grimsley was deeply involved within the entire Kankakee County community. He not only worked on Aroma Park issues, but was a member of the River Valley Metro Mass Transit board as well as the Area Jobs Development Corporation board of directors.

Current Aroma Park Mayor Brian Stump said Grimsley’s love of Aroma Park was obvious to everyone.

“Norm made Aroma Park what it is today. He loved where he lived.”

TERRY VAUGHN, 73

The former one-term Bourbonnais mayor rose from the ranks of a political unknown in the late 1980s to become the leader of the village following the April 1989 election.

Vaughn defeated then-four-term Mayor Earnest Mooney by a scant nine-vote margin.

Vaughn died Feb. 7.

Mooney held no ill-will toward Vaughn.

“Much progress was made under his leadership. Terry and I just had different philosophies on how to do things,” Mooney said.

Vaughn was also a longtime construction company owner who touched some of the area’s most well-known locations with his skilled work.

Vaughn’s political career was rather short lived. He was defeated in the 1993 three-way mayoral election by Grover Brooks.

ADAM ANDRZEJEWSKI, 55

A Herscher native and a 1987 graduate of Herscher High School, Andrzejewski left a lasting mark on Illinois which will be felt for years to come.

Although he ran an unsuccessful 2010 campaign for Illinois governor — he finished fifth in the seven-person Republican Party primary — Andrzejewski was never concerned with obstacles in his path.

Andrzejewski died Aug. 18.

He founded and became the driving force behind the government spending watchdog website, OpenTheBooks.com, and was the former owner of the directory, HomePages Directories.

OpenTheBooks.com is now the nation’s largest private depository of U.S. public-sector spending. The group’s mission statement reads: “Every Dime, Online, In Real Time.”

Through his notoriety as a government watchdog, he became a sought-after guest on cable news programs.

Research published by OpenTheBooks is repeatedly cited in Congressional oversight hearings and reflected in federal legislation.

GORDY MCCOLLUM, 77

While it may not have been as easy to recognize his face, the voice of local radio personality Gordy McCollum, better known as the “GM in the PM,” was unmistakable.

McCollum died May 20.

A longtime voice at WKAN radio and then WVLI, McCollum helped anchor local radio for some 40 years.

He retired from radio in 2020. He also had a long career on stage with local theater.

“He believed in entertaining the audience and giving out information to the audience,” noted local radio newsman Mike Perrine, who hosted a longtime agriculture show on WKAN and WVLI.

“He was the ‘GM in the PM,’ and I think he made up that name himself. Without trying to overstate it, he was a local institution. He was always fun to listen to.”

JAMES TAYLOR SR., 76

Taylor was not a man who would back away from any cause. He became well known throughout Kankakee County for his work in publishing his newspaper, the City News, which he founded through Taylor Publications in 1972.

Taylor died Nov. 9.

A member of numerous journalism organizations, including the National Association of Black Journalists and the Illinois Press Association, Taylor was heavily involved in politics and maintained relationships at the local and national level.

Taylor had been interviewed by famed TV personality Bill O’Reilly. He also worked with former President Barack Obama.

In addition to his newspaper work, Taylor also worked 27 years for the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services as a child abuse and neglect investigator.

DEB JOHNSTON, 71

Johnston may have had Kankakee Kays’ purple running through her veins. After all, the former student, teacher, coach and school board member had been a part of the Kankakee School District family nearly her entire life.

Johnston died Nov. 16.

A retired longtime physical education teacher and coach, Johnston became a pillar in Kankakee girls’ sports. She also was a current school board member, having been part of the seven-member board for nearly six years.

“When I think of Deb, I just think of Kankakee,” said former Kankakee athletics director Lisa Ferry, who served many years with Johnston. “She was a diehard Kankakee person. She loved what she did and was just an overall good person. Gave 100% with everything she did.”

DENNIS BOSSINGER, 82

One of the most dedicated Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School leaders, Dennis Bossinger would call the walls inside the East North Street school home for 32 years.

Bossinger died June 8.

Starting his BBCHS career in 1970, Bossinger was a teacher, coach, administrator and ultimately its superintendent until his June 2002 retirement.

“If there were a Mount Rushmore of school administrators, Denny Bossinger would be on it,” said former BBCHS administrator and colleague Tom Dubois.

Bossinger had the task of replacing then 16-year Superintendent Don Turner in 1998.

“He was the most kind, understanding, approachable administrator in Bradley’s history,” said longtime BBCHS educator Darla Moldenhauer. “... I can’t think of anyone who didn’t think he was a great guy.”

JERRY SHAPIRO, 70

An attorney by profession, Jerry Shapiro spent many years inside the Kankakee County courthouse as a general law practitioner.

His passion, however, he found a little later in his life and it was a position which resulted in no pay, extensive hours, numerous headaches, but more reward than he could have ever imagined.

The post was being a Kankakee school board member, a position in which he dedicated himself for 20 years, from 1993 through 2013. For the final 10 years of his board service, he was the board president.

Shapiro died July 26.

“He had the heart of a servant,” recalled Jill Pristach, who served alongside Shapiro for eight years on the board. “That is something sorely lacking in our world today. He didn’t just act as figurehead. He devoted himself to this district. ... He truly cared.”

AMARI CRITE, 14

Crite, who was a freshman, died after collapsing Jan. 25 while playing a basketball game at Momence High School.

Crite, the daughter of Anthony and Michelle Crite, of Momence, was a starter on the JV basketball team.

Following the tragedy, surrounding communities offered an outpouring of support.

A GoFundMe was started, and just three hours into its posting, the fundraiser surpassed its goal of $15,000, reaching more than $50,000 to date.

In addition to pages sharing the GoFundMe information, social media was a source of support as schools, municipalities and more shared thoughts and prayers with the Crite family during this difficult time.

Many schools in the area showed solidarity by wearing Momence school colors or Amari’s favorite colors of purple and yellow (after her favorite team — the LA Lakers) as well as her jersey No. 5 to remember and honor the life of Amari.

ROGER KOERNER SR., 90

He was known as a “pilot’s pilot.”

It is also a description which was most likely the ultimate compliment for Roger Koerner Sr., who not only operated the two-runway Koerner Aviation airport in south Kankakee, but was a pilot instructor for countless people as well.

Koerner died Jan. 17.

Those who knew him best, simply stated Koerner was a natural pilot.

“Roger was the best pilot I ever flew with, and I’ve flown with a thousand of them. He was what I would call a pilot’s pilot,” said Dan Eckles, who eventually flew 37 years with U.S. Airways, much of that time as an instructor himself.

In addition to his skill in the cockpit, Koerner was also a father figure to many who spent time at the complex.

One of those people was Jack Ryan, a Marine Corp veteran and a pilot.

“Roger did what he could to train me as a pilot. I loved him like he was my own grandfather. I was just enamored by those guys and I just wanted to fly.”

VINCENT CLARK, 62

The executive director for Kankakee County Community Services Inc., for nearly three decades, the Rev. Vincent Clark worked with many in the community in need of resources.

He touched countless lives as a result through his work with the not-for-profit, charged with alleviating the effects of poverty on area residents.

Clark died Sept. 2.

“He always lent a helping hand to people in need,” said Kankakee County Board member, former Kankakee City Council alderman and close Clark friend, Steven Hunter.

Hunter termed Clark an “amazing public servant and spiritual leader.”

Shirley St. Germaine, a 25-year KCCSI board member, said it did not matter what the task at hand was, Clark was there to get it done.

Close friend Theodis Pace simply termed Clark a “true pillar” of the community.

“I’m sure his work impacted countless lives throughout the community,” he said.

RON SCHROEDER, 80

Ron Schroeder wore many hats during his life.

He was an Illinois State Trooper. Farmer. St. Anne Grade School board member. Iroquois County Board member.

He would wind up serving 24 years on the county board representing the Papineau Township region and his tenure concluded with a nearly 11-year run as the county board chairman.

Schroeder died Jan. 10.

Known for his quick wit and independence, Schroeder would often find himself at odds with friends as well as foes. But it never seemed to bother him much.

Many found it best to avoid the topic of politics with their friend.

“He was a community man and just a good guy,” said John Schoth, a farming neighbor. “... He liked to be in control of things, and he was smart. ... If he had an opinion, he wasn’t going to get off of it.”

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