The Niles Public Library Board of Trustees honored in memoriam long-time village employee Tom Surace with a resolution naming Feb. 2 “Tom Surace Day.”
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Surace, who died this year at the age of 76, was remembered by those in attendance at the Feb.18 board meeting.
Board President Morgan Dubiel, who served with Surace on the board and the Village of Niles Plan Commission, proposed it as a way to recognize his years of service and his good character. The other trustees readily agreed, signing on to the resolution.
Surace worked for the Village of Niles in 1979 – 2010. He originally worked as a driver for the Niles Free Bus system. In 1998, he became the village’s Transportation Supervisor. In 2008, Surace was appointed to the Niles Plan Commission – a seat that he held until his death.
A life-long library user, Surace became actively involved in the 1996 referendum that allowed the library to issue $8.9 million in bonds in order to expand the building, buy new equipment and expand its catalog. As the Niles Herald-Spectator reported at the time, he was the one who came up with the referendum slogan “A Library for the Rest of Your Life.”
In June 25, 1996, Surace was appointed to the board to fill the seat left vacant by Trustee Roseanne Dulski. He was able to keep his seat in the 1997 election, and he wound up serving on the board until 2003. He served as a board vice president between 1998 – 2000.
Dubiel said that he wanted to do something to honor Surace – both as a public servant and as an individual.
“We worked together,” he said. “[Surace] was an incredibly dedicated person. H was a very kind spirit, and I thought he deserved recognition.”
The resolution Dubiel introduced described Surace’s service, saying that he was “known for thoughtfulness and kindness” and described him as someone who “demonstrated his love for the library and the Niles community.”
The trustees signed the resolution. Trustees Barbara Nakanishi and Carolyn Drblik were absent, so the board decided to let them add their signatures at the next meeting.
Before signing the resolution, Board Vice-President Karen Dimond praised Surace
“He was a great public servant, and he was humble too,” she said.
“He was always smiling,” said Dubiel. “He was one of the kindest people I ever met.”
Igor Studenkov is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.