She redefined enthusiasm. She played the major role in creating Sun City’s social fellowship and recreational structure. She loved bringing people together. She started her time in Huntley in early 1999, and wound up as the longest serving staff manager in the community.
But now Cynthia O’Connor-Smith is gone. Her job as the community’s lifestyles and one-day trip director was eliminated August 31 in the latest personnel move resulting from the staff productivity and reorganization project started in 2012. Her career at Sun City spanned 16 years, but was only actually 13 years because she left to take a similar position at Grandhaven Lakewood Homes in Romeoville for three years more than a decade ago, and then returned to Huntley.
“This decision had nothing to do with Cynthia herself, but had to do with the personnel moves we have made the last two years to increase efficiency and service to residents,” said Lauren Lee, who herself is departing Sun City after 22 months as the community’s executive director. “Cynthia grew her job as far as it could go, and now it is part of other functions. We are thankful to her for her tremendous contribution and dedicated service.”
Lee said the lifestyles position will be assigned to the new position of executive director assistant. This new position will be filled by Beth Fudala, who also will continue as manager of governance and standards.
Cynthia came to Sun City when the farmland was just starting to be excavated, the first houses in Neighborhoods 2 and 3 were going up, and when Prairie Lodge was still under construction. (It was completed and opened in November, 2000).
“I remember helping a group of bridge players that started the first charter group here, in 1999,” Cynthia said. “They played their games initially in rented space in the Huntley Outlet Mall, where the first Sun City sales offices were.”
She grew up in the northwest side of Chicago, and attended Senn High School. She was influenced early in life, primarily by her mother and grandmother.
“I originally wanted to be a hairdresser, but my mother encouraged me to go to college and get an education. I also learned a lot from my grandmother. In college, I decided that I wanted to work with adults. I took some classes in therapeutic recreation at Triton College, and eventually I earned a bachelor’s degree in that field from Southern Illinois University. I also attended a lot of classes at Marshall Field’s in Chicago.”
She later held several recreational at the Illinois Association of Parks and Recreation and several Chicago-area park districts. She was invited to come to Huntley by Steve O’Donnell, who was one of the first recreational specialists working for Del Webb. She was hired in 1999 by Judy Julison, Sun City’s first executive director.
“When I started, there were a few of us on the staff,” she recalled. “There was Controller Dave Scott, Maintenance Director Dave Osborn, Mary Harris, first executive secretary, Judy, and myself. The lodge wasn’t finished in early 1999, but we used to conduct hardhat tours in the facility while the work went on. I remember standing at the indoor pool site, wearing shorts and a t-shirt with an inner tube around my waist, talking up the planned aquatic programs that weren’t even in place yet.”
“I also recall planning the first bocce ball event at the courts, expecting a handful of people. I was surprised when 75 showed up. I learned quickly what a popular sport it is. I also remember holding a luau in the pavilion in the rain, and conducting the first line dance classes.
We used to hold potlucks to bring people together, and we had to improvise lots of things. We had 600 people the first time, and we asked everyone to bring a can of food and one other item, from paper plates to salads to hot dishes.
Others attested to Cynthia’s character.
“She was always so helpful so helpful and willing to do whatever was needed,” recalled Carol Charpentier, former president of the Cribbage Club. “Once, when we had to move to another room to play our games, we had no coffee machine. I asked her about it, and In a short time she brought us a coffee maker.”
Marian Mesenbrink, an active member of the Prairie Singers and now president of the Cribbage Club, said, “She was always so good with remembering people’s names. At one outing I went on, she asked all of us on the bus to introduce ourselves. She remembered my name for a long time after that.”
This early work by Cynthia and many others has paid off. Today, Sun City has 43 charter groups, dozens of special interest organizations, a year-round schedule of entertainment events (some featuring big-name entertainers), a first class fitness center, three swimming pools, and a host of educational and fitness classes and lectures. A common theme among community residents is, “If there’s a hobby or recreational activity, Sun City has it.”
“I love Sun City so much because people are excited to be here and to get together,” she concluded.
So what’s next for her?
“That’s still a mystery, I don’t know yet,” she said. “I’m going to travel to Colorado to see a friend first. After that, we’ll see.”
Her bubbly, always upbeat personality will be sorely missed. The dozens of well-wishers that came to her farewell reception in Prairie Lodge August 31 were a testament to the outstanding impact she had on so many people here.
