Longtime Chicago Heights Ald. Willie J. White lost his battle with cancer Monday.

He never made headlines as a scholar, athlete or entertainer, but in interviews with Chicago Heights Patch many called 71-year-old White one of the greatest persons they had ever known.

At the Woods Funeral Home at 1003 S. Halsted St., owner and director Melvin Woods reflected on White's life.

"It was hard not to like Willie," Woods said.  "I've known Mr. White pretty much my whole life. Everybody in our community will miss him."

'He Was Our Family'

Outside the Chicago Heights Park District office at 1400 Chicago Road where White worked as facilities manager, the American flag flew at half-mast and black-striped bunting draped the building's front entry.

Inside, employees held back tears as they viewed White's empty chair.

"We're heartbroken," said Park District Asst. Superintendent Mike DeButch. "He was a great man. He was the nicest guy in the world. When you leave that legacy, people will miss you."

"He was like a father," said coworker Valerie Koster. "We had a divider between our desks, and I told him, 'I'm taking that down so I can see you.'"

"Willie was famous for feeding us breakfast, and he gave us all numbers—he called me 'Number 5," added Koster. "We'd get birthday cakes with our numbers on it, he was a joker."

"You can wait a lifetime to meet someone like him," said coworker Susana Perez. "At the hospital, when they asked us, are you family, we said yes. He was our family."

"He really cared about the kids in Beacon Hills," said Chicago Heights Park District President Joseph Patrick Stanfa. "He went out of his way for a lot of people."

"I say he wasn't a true politician, he was an advocate, he wanted to provide services to feed the needy," said Chicago Heights Mayor David Gonzalez. "He never called the press for a photo op about the good deeds he was doing."

In comments on Patch, Beacon Hill Baptist Church Pastor Rick Dorsey wrote, "We surely appreciate Alderman White's efforts to improve community life in Beacon Hill and throughout the 1st Ward of Chicago Heights...even when his personal illness tried to hold him back, Alderman White was pushing himself to move ahead."

State Sen. Toi Hutchinson wrote, "He always had a hug and an encouraging word for me every time I saw him. And no one can deny how much he LOVED the city of Chicago Heights."

'A Great Person Because of His Kindness'

White's wife, Denise, and son David were busy this week with the arrangements that accompany a loved one's death.

Woods Funeral Home was waiting on the official obituary, which would likely mention that White played basketball at Bloom High School and graduated in 1958; that he was past Grand Exalted Ruler of the Elks Lodge No. 1252 for 24 years; and was serving his fourth term as 1st Ward alderman.

When reached by phone, Denise White paused for a moment and recalled meeting her husband some 25 years ago at a social event. "He was a fun person," she said.

"And I knew that he was a great person, because of his kindness."

Visitation for Willie J. White is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 27, from 2 to 7 p.m. at Woods Funeral Home, 1003 S. Halsted St. in Chicago Heights. Final viewing is scheduled for 11 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Dec. 28, at Union Evangelistic Baptist Church, 1625 Center in Chicago Heights, with the funeral to follow at noon.