Sun City resident Harry Leopold was asked to fill the vacancy on the Huntley Village Trustee vacated by Mary Holzkopf. At the August 8 Village Board meeting, Sun City resident Harry Leopold was officially sworn in as the trustee.
Leopold moved into Sun City in 1999. He said, “We were interested in Del Webb since [wife] Gini’s parents bought a Del Webb home in Arizona where we planned to buy. Then we heard that Del Webb was building in Huntley. We selected our house from an artist’s conception at the Outlet Mall. We were the third to close on our home on April 19, 1999.”
Leopold’s unwavering commitment to the community is truly inspiring. He has generously volunteered his time, skills, and knowledge, serving on three non-profit boards, including the church and the community. His eagerness to get involved was evident when he moved into Sun City.
“I started playing bocci ball and started a bridge club with five people. They gave us a table at the outlet center sales center to play. Now, the club has over 200 members. Bill Eisenmenger and I founded the Railroad Club, and I enjoyed playing golf in two different leagues,” Leopold said.
Before Leopold moved to Huntley, he attended a Village Board meeting to see how the Village was run.
“I met the Village President at the time, Jim Dhamer. He approached me to consider running for the Village Board. In 2000, I got enough signatures on the petition to run for a trustee seat in April. In October, Jim died,” he said.
When his supporters urged him to run for village president, he accepted the challenge. Despite facing tough competition from Charles Becker and Charles Sass and losing by 200 votes, Leopold’s determination was unwavering. This setback motivated him further, leading him to run for the board in 2003.
Leopold served five consecutive four-year terms.
“I enjoyed my time on the board, but all good things must come to an end,” he said.
The Village’s recognition of Leopold and Village Clerk Rita McMahon’s service to the community was a testament to their significant contributions. The party thrown in their honor, the street signs bearing their names, and the plaque featuring Leopold’s accomplishments all underscore the community’s deep appreciation for their service.
Leopold said, “It was amazing. Leopold Lane is located off Reed Road in Talamore. The plaque highlighted my favorite accomplishments on the board: the four-way interchange, widening Route 47, and the hospital. New Village Hall, Walmart, Weber International, and the fifth largest Amazon warehouse with 1,800,000 square feet.”
Then, the Village looked for Harry Leopold to fill the Trustee position once again.
Leopold said, “Tim Hoeft came to me and said, ‘We have a resignation. Would you serve out the term?’ I talked to my wife, Gini, who supported me and encouraged me to take the position.”
Leopold was also elected and served three terms on the Sun City Board. His tenure on this board also had significant accomplishments.
“We authored the storage building, which filled up quickly like all storage. The Birch and Cedar rooms were created from the Sales Center at the Lodge. We added the dividers and the kitchen. The train club moved into the basement of the Woodchuck Building, and the Billiards moved from the Pub location in Jameson to the Woodchucks Building. We also increased the size of the Sew n’ Sew’s room. We saved the community a significant amount of funds by treating fifty percent of the ash trees for the emerald ash borer.”
Leopold’s personal life is just as rich and fulfilling as his professional one. He has been happily married to his wife, Gini, for 66 years. After the wedding, the couple moved to Germany, where Leopold was stationed while serving in the Army.
“We loved it there,” Leopold fondly recalls.
Their love for Germany is evident in their frequent visits, with the couple returning in 1994 and making twenty more trips since then.
The Leopolds have two children, Melissa and Michael, both married, and have given them thirteen grandkids, ages 21 to 32, and one great-granddaughter, Olivia, who is five years old.
