A longtime village of Franklin Park staffer is being remembered not only as a supportive manager but also an all around good person.
John Schneider, who had been the village’s director of community development and zoning, died Dec. 23 after a battle with cancer. Services were held for him Jan. 6 in Wauconda, according to information provided in his obituary.
Schneider was 73.
“It was a tremendous loss to the village,” Franklin Park mayor Barrett Pedersen told Pioneer Press. “He loved life and never let his success go to his head.”
Pedersen said he first met Schneider more than a decade ago at a charity golf outing. Then in 2012, Schneider started working for the village as a part-time consultant. He was later chosen to head the Department of Community Development and Zoning after a national search for candidates.
“He always went out of his way to compliment and support the other department heads. They all had a great appreciation for him. The board of trustees was very sad to have heard of his passing. You don’t replace a talented person with such a great personality easily,” Pedersen said.
Nicholas Walny, who joined Franklin Park in 2017 as village planner, told Pioneer Press that Schneider, who had worked with the city of Chicago and Cook County planning and development offices, was a mentor.
“He brought me in as a raw planner,” Walny said. “I wouldn’t be here without John. He’s definitely going to be missed.”
As of Jan. 2, Walny is stepping into the role of director of community development and zoning.
“He has a grand legacy here so it will be hard to step in those shoes. We as a department have learned a lot from him and can take the things he taught us – from economic development and planning – and keep moving forward into the future,” said Walny.
According to a news release from the village, Schneider’s accomplishments included an economic development effort that resulted in Franklin Park receiving $81 million in grant funding for development projects and infrastructure improvements.
“Among the most noteworthy are the development of a strategic plan for growth for Franklin Park, a new zoning code, revitalizing our industrial and commercial corridors, and helping to provide 3.6 million gallons of new stormwater storage to prevent flooding,” Trustee Karen Special stated in the release.
Pedersen stated in the release that Schneider’s vision helped reestablish Franklin Park as an industrial powerhouse, attracting developments that include warehouses constructed in the village’s eastern and western industrial districts.
“He assisted local business to expand, attracted prominent corporations and helped to redevelop the former Motorola site on Grand Avenue which is now home to the Digital Realty campus, a thriving data complex that continues to expand,” Pedersen stated in the release.
Pedersen, who explained that he officiated Schneider’s 50th wedding anniversary vow renewal in 2022, said he will miss his friend’s humor and sage advice.
“It’s really good when you learn a great deal with experience and are able to pass that information, knowledge, skill, talent and understanding to others,” Pedersen said.
According to Schneider’s obituary, he was born Oct. 18, 1950 in Austria. He was married to Denise DeHesus and had a son, Adam, and two grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Cancer Society, a food pantry or an immigration aid organization were encouraged, according to the obit.
Jessi Virtusio is a freelancer.
