“Sun City is indescribable. I really do not want to be in any other place. It is remarkable.”
Ron Saballus, a native Chicagoan, says those words very often. He came to Sun City on or about August 1 of this year. He is off-the-charts enthusiastic about his new home.
Recently, he found out that the Sun City Association of Huntley wanted residents to submit slogans for the 20th anniversary celebration of the community in 2019. He submitted his idea – “20 Years of Fulfilling Lifestyle Dreams.”
You guessed it…he won first prize. You’ll hear a lot about it next year.
The Sun Day couldn’t resist. Ron met with us last week for a get-acquainted session that turned into a presentation of a very impressive resume.
Asked the standard question about why and how he came to Sun City, he said, “I lived in Plano for several years before Sun City opened, and I passed by the site many times,” Ron said. “I decided not to move in when I first saw the place, and waited for it to develop fully.
“This is truly a remarkable place. Look at the streetlights. They were built by craftsmen. The architectural detail on them is beautiful. Every door in the homes is three-feet wide, instead of the more standard two feet and something. This allows space for wheel chairs and walkers to be used by seniors. A lot of thought has gone into creating this community.”
Ron’s praise is not a showboat performance for publicity, or an act designed to impress people. He genuinely feels like he has come to the coolest place in the world. His words come from his extensive and varied life experiences. He is trained and experienced in engineering, architecture, residential and commercial building construction, and even art. Born and raised on the far west side of Chicago, he graduated from St. Patrick High School, spent three years at DePaul University, and earned a civil engineering degree at the University of Illinois in Champaign.
He has worked for major corporations, private developers, started his own building constriction company, and has built structures for major retailers. He built a 14,000-square-foot home in Oak Brook that contained sophisticated sound systems, waterfalls, and large birdcages. It took two years. After he sold it, he learned a few years later that it sold for $3.5 million. He is a “try anything at least once” kind of guy. In the latter part of his career, he sold bonds, currencies and commodities at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
A few years ago, he went down to Sandwich, Illinois, and found the broken down and abandoned Bull Moose Bar & Grille, which once had been a well known eatery and gathering place in the small downstate community. He rebuilt it and now is the owner of the revitalized establishment.
“A bar and grill in a town called Sandwich attracted me,” he admitted. “The name Bull Moose was inspired by Theodore Roosevelt around the turn of the 20th Century.”
Now, at age 80, he does some consulting in the Chicago area.
“I like to help people find simple solutions to difficult and complex problems,” he said. “At Sun City, I have found a place where I can do things that are on my bucket list,” he said. “I am taking bridge lessons from Dave Germain, and taking dancing lessons in some of the organizations here.” He also is enjoying his nine children and a number of grandchildren (he wasn’t sure exactly how many).
He has a simple life philosophy.
“Each of us has unique talents, we should use them to serve others, money is a by-product of that,” he said.
Next year, in the 20th anniversary celebration, meet and greet Ron Saballus. He lives in a townhouse in Neighborhood 22.
He is someone you should know.
