Dick Wolf, a 'founding father' of Prospect Heights, dies at 80

From left to right, former Prospect Heights Mayors Jerry Meyer and Richard Wolf and current Mayor Nick Helmer, along with Gregg Koeppen, at a charity ball for St. Alphonsus Liguori Church. Courtesy of Prospect Heights

Richard E. Wolf, who served as Prospect Heights' first mayor and remained active in the community for more than two decades after leaving office, died over the weekend.

Wolf, 80, served as mayor for seven years from 1976 to 1983, then spent 21 years as a member of the city's police and fire commission.

"He was the founding father of Prospect Heights," current Mayor Nick Helmer said. "He was the force that made things happen and brought Prospect Heights to life."

Wolf and his wife, June, were behind the effort to get the city incorporated and launched many of the traditions that remain to this day, Helmer said.

Recently, a street near city hall was named Dick Wolf Court in his honor. Helmer said he was glad officials were able to dedicate the street to Wolf before he died

"Dick was a gentle man and a gentleman. He was just a nice, soft-spoken, well-meaning and in-charge guy," Helmer said. "He was maybe a little tough, but he was always fair. He never forgot about things that needed to be done on behalf of the city and the citizens, and that made him as popular as can be."

He said there will likely be another memorial from the city to honor Wolf.

"We cannot do enough to thank and recognize him for what he did for this city," Helmer said.

As recently as last week, Helmer said, he and Wolf would each greet each other at church as "Mr. Mayor" as a sign of respect.

After his time as mayor, Wolf spent 21 years on the police commission until retiring a few years ago. He also served as president of the Northwest Municipal Conference and board chairman for the Northern Cook County Private Industry Council.

Away from city government, Wolf worked as director of international licensing for Valspar and Desoto, where he had responsibility for licensing technology domestically and in Europe.

He is survived by his wife, daughters Karen (Jonathan) Kaspar, Valerie (Susan) Sinitean-Wolf and Jennifer (Colin) Noronha, as well as six grandchildren and several other family members and friends.

Visitation will be held from 3. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Matz Funeral Home, 410 E. Rand Road, Mount Prospect.

He will lie in repose at 9:30 a.m. Friday at St. Alphonsus Liguori Church, 411 N. Wheeling Road, Prospect Heights, before the funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m. He will be interred at Memory Gardens in Arlington Heights.