Kathy Whalen retires from Plainfield Park District after 21+ years of service

On Feb. 1, Kathy Whalen of Shorewood officially retired from the Plainfield Park District as its recreation manager of adult services.

Whalen had served the park district for more than 21 years, according to a news release from the district.

At this point, Whalen has only one item on her agenda: a vacation with her younger son, Frank, and her two adult sons, Weston and Walker, in June.

“My plan is to sit on my boat, with the sun in my face, breeze at my back, reading a good book.” Whalen said in the release.

Journey to the Plainfield Park District

Whalen , who grew up in Berwyn, said her parents signed Whalen and her sister up for dance and gymnastics. This ultimately influenced Whalen’s career choice and underscored her belief that activity is good for people.

“I just always thought it would be fun,” Whalen said. “I didn’t want a job where you sit at a desk all day, and you definitely don’t in the recreation field. And then, I always liked being with people and working with people and I think that’s why I wanted to work with seniors. You can help them and encourage them and help them have a good day and make new friends.”

After graduating from Carthage College in Wisconsin with a recreation degree, Whalen went to the Franklin Park District, where she said she worked for 10 years with seniors, the early childhood program and special events.

Then Whalen went to the Darien Park District in a similar capacity. But with Weston, now 26, and Walker, now 23, in after-school programs, she wanted a job close to home.

Around the same time, Plainfield Township and the Plainfield Park District decided to hire a manager of adult services.

“My job was the first job position between two government agencies,” Whalen said.

Whalen said that when she started, programs for seniors included a fitness class, a potluck lunch a picnic and a holiday luncheon. Programs initially were at the Ottawa Street building, later at a building on property the park district bought called Rivers Edge.

“It flooded twice, so we had to move our programs,” Whalen said. “We had nowhere else to go, so the township took us in.”

As attendance and programs outgrew that space, the fitness programs moved to the Methodist Church in downtown Plainfield, Whalen said.

“They decided we needed dedicated space for the seniors, so they purchased the Plainfield Township Community Center in Plainfield,” Whalen said. “At the community center, we had our seniors programs go Monday through Friday from 9 to 3 or 4 every day before COVID hit.”

An expanding program - and then COVID-19

Whalen said the program had “a lot of fitness classes” and “drop-in programs that were very popular.” Tuesday was the “big game day” where at least 25 seniors would come out for a fitness class, play games and stay for the potluck lunch, Whalen said.

“They’d go home about 3, 3:30 p.m.,” Whalen said. “On Tuesdays, some people stayed all day.”

Whalen said the township and park district sponsored the holiday lunch every year.

“It got to be so big that we had to hold it at the Plainfield Fire Department in their training center on 135th [Street],” Whalen said. “A few years we had almost 200 seniors.”

Senior programs also included bunco and educational programs where speakers discussed topics such as scams, identity theft, nutrition and driver safety, Whalen said.

During the early months of the pandemic, Whalen created a list of seniors who consistently participated and called them to check on their well-being.

“The fact she remembers our names and our health conditions is so impressive,” Dorothy Curry, a longtime participant, said in the release. “If you were sick or in the hospital, she wants to know how you’re doing. She’s such a wonderful, caring person. She’ll be tough to replace.”

About a dozen seniors participated in a “quarantine cookbook” that helped “to keep everyone engaged,” Whalen said.

In summer 2020, Whalen hosted programs at Maher Woods because it had a large pavilion and bathrooms. Bingo was a favorite, especially with wipeable cards, Whalen said.

“We’re really going to miss her,” Joan Ospalik, a regular participant who’s known Whalen for 10-plus years, said in the release. “She makes you feel at home.”

Saying goodbye

So why retire now? It’s just time, Whalen said.

“After COVID, all the programs will need to be rebuilt at the park district, like anywhere else,” Whalen said. “I had to be honest with myself. I just didn’t have the energy to do it. I knew it was time to hand it off to someone else.”

The Plainfield Park District board of commissioners honored Whalen at its Jan. 12 regular meeting, passing resolution 2022-01 in honor of her service and “extraordinary contributions,” according to the release.

Longtime coworker Misty Bartlett said in the release that she wishes Whalen “all the best.”

“She has formed some wonderful and long-lasting friendships with senior citizens that have participated in programs and events over the years,” Bartlett said in the release. “She will definitely be missed.”