Palos Heights Senior Living resident, Jack Quinn, turned 100 on July 18. (Photos by Kelly White)
Palos Heights Senior Living resident turns 100
By Kelly White
Jack Quinn is a modest man who enjoys spending time with his family and friends.
A resident at Palos Heights Senior Living, 7100 W. College Drive, Quinn proudly celebrated his 100th birthday with those he loves most on Thursday, July 18.
“I can’t believe it,” Quinn said. “I’m working on the second 100 now.”
Quinn, of Chicago, has quite the extensive background. A World War II veteran who served in the Army from 1943 to 1946, he went on an Honor Flight in 2012. He never married; however, he spent his free time traveling and spending time with his family, including countless nieces and nephews, and his many, many friends.
Sharing his landmark birthday is his nephew, also named, John Quinn.
“My uncle is truly a great man,” John, of Orland Park, said.
Quinn has been a resident at Palos Heights Senior Living since August of 2021.
Palos Heights Senior Living offers apartment living in highly with state-of-the-art amenities, top-notch activities and programs, and best-in-class hospitality and is a part of a family of communities operated by Spectrum Retirement Communities.
Nestled in the trees next to the Calumet-Saganashkee Channel, Palos Heights Senior Living offers the best of both worlds for those, like Quinn, who want to enjoy the great outdoors and have city comforts close to home.
There are 179 residents at the facility and all can walk around the Olde Palos Shopping Centre and Orland Square Shopping Mall or enjoy fresh air when they visit Lake Katherine and Cal-Sag walking trails. The surrounding forest preserve and nearby Botanic Gardens make this a beautiful setting for your senior living lifestyle.
“My uncle absolutely loves living here,” Quinn’s niece, Judy Smith, of Oak Lawn, said. “He may not know how to use his cell phone but he is on the computer every day checking the daily news and talking with his friends here.”
Quinn’s family threw him a surprise 100th birthday party on Sunday, July 14, so the celebration at Palos Heights Senior Living on Thursday afternoon was just additional icing on the already incredible birthday cake.
Pauline McGrath, Executive Director at Palos Heights Senior Living, said Quinn turning 100 is very special.
“He (Jack) has a lot of life experiences,” McGrath said. “He is kind and respectful and always a smile on his face. We admire how he still keeps up with the news of the day on his computer. He is alert and knows what he wants.”
Aside from keeping up with the daily news, Quinn enjoys hanging out with the guys, he said, spending time daily talking and reminiscing.
“He is a gentleman, always kind and friendly and very well liked,” McGrath said. “Just an overall very polite man.”
Quinn said he if had to sum up turning 100 in one simple word, it would be, “Amazing.”
Palos Heights Senior Living placed “Happy Birthday” signs outside of the building, 7100 W. College Drive, on July 18, to mark the 100th birthday of resident, Jack Quinn.
Local News
Northern Illinois likely wrecks Notre Dame’s season
Spread the loveThe Northern Illinois football team pulled off the biggest win in school history and the biggest stunner of the 2024 college football season thus far with a 16-14 win over 5th-ranked Notre Dame on Sept. 7 in South Bend. Three former area players are on the Huskies’ roster. Former Shepard star Roy Williams,…
NFL Players Fathers Association honors Hall of Famer Steve McMichael
Spread the loveThe Chicago Bears honored former defensive tackle and newly inducted Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve McMichael during the team’s home opener on Sept. 8 at Soldier Field. Three days earlier, McMichael he was honored by the National Football Players Father’s Association. The new vice president of that group is Orland Park Fire…
Girls Volleyball | St. Laurence strong on and off the court
Spread the loveThe St. Laurence girls volleyball players are competitive on and off the court. On the court, the Vikings made it to Class 3A Supersectional play the past two seasons before ending those campaigns with losses to Joliet Catholic in 2022 and St. Ignatius in 2023. They are off to a big start this…
Red Stars honor Olympians, then fall to Orlando
Spread the loveThe Chicago Red Stars honored their four Olympians before the team’s Sept. 8 match with Orlando, but when went out and dropped a 1-0 decision to the first-place Pride in an NWSL game in front of an announced crowd of 7,291 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview. Olympic gold medalists Mallory Swanson and Alyssa…
Playoffs in doubt for Fire after loss to D.C.
Spread the loveEven playing in its former digs at SeatGeek Stadium couldn’t help the Chicago Fire. The Fire, playing for their MLS playoff life, took another step backward in a 2-1 loss to D.C. United in front of an announced crowd of 16,426 on Sept. 7 in Bridgeview. The Fire’s regular home is Soldier Field,…
Football | Lyons top Wheaton Warrenville South in Jon Beutjer’s return to alma mater
Spread the loveBack when he was breaking state and national passing records at Wheaton Warrenville South, Jon Beutjer proudly wore orange and black. Beutjer, the prolific passer who led the Tigers to the 1998 Class 6A title, was back in Wheaton last week; however, this time he was wearing royal blue and gold as the…
Football | Sandburg’s Shelton throws 4 TDs in rout of Oak Forest
Spread the loveWhenever his team needs a lift or a teammate needs a pat on the back, Anthony Shelton is there to provide it. Shelton, Sandburg’s senior quarterback, can also throw touchdown passes. On Sept. 6 in Orland Park, Shelton threw four of them as the Eagles defeated Oak Forest, 43-12. Shelton was 15-of-16 passing…
Stagg runs over Oak Lawn behind Olaf Kozub’s 351 yards and 4 TDs
Spread the loveAfter running wild in Stagg’s season-opening victory, Olaf Kozub bested that effort in Week 2 to help the Chargers to a second straight win. Kozub, a junior running back, totaled 351 yards from scrimmage, including 19 carries for 285 yards rushing (15 yards per carry) and scoring runs of 1, 29 and 65…
Football | Argo blanks Bloom for second straight shutout
Spread the loveTwo games. Two wins. Zero points allowed. Life is good for Argo and head coach Phillip Rossberg. “A 2-0 start is nice,” Rossberg said. “We’ll take that.” On Sept. 6 in Summit, the Argonauts welcomed Bloom in a non-conference matchup. Anchored by the efforts of running back Steven Holmes and a strong defensive…
Step Back in Time: 31st annual River Rendezvous returns to Willow Springs
Spread the loveThe 31st annual A River Thru History – The Des Plaines Valley Rendezvous will be returning once again this year to Columbia Woods Forest Preserve in Willow Springs for a weekend filled with historic facts, recreation and fun. Taking place at the intersection of Archer Avenue and Willow Springs Road, the event focuses…
Neighbors
East St. Louis forum to tackle persistent childhood poverty
By MOLLY PARKER Capitol News Illinois mparker@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois has the potential to eradicate childhood poverty, but it will require a concentrated, sustained effort in partnership with families and disadvantaged communities, says Tasha Green Cruzat, president of Children’s Advocates for Change, a Chicago-based nonprofit focused on childhood wellbeing. This hope drives the focus of the policy…
Federal judge rejects Illinois’ bid to end court oversight of disability programs
By MOLLY PARKER & BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois mparker@capitolnewsillinois.com bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com A federal judge on Friday denied Illinois’ request to end court oversight of its disability services. Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, agreed with legal advocates who argued that the state still hasn’t met its…
Coroner’s affidavit shows as many as 800 human remains could have been misidentified
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com As many as 800 families across the country who patronized a Carlinville funeral home may never know if the remains on their mantles belong to their loved ones, according to an affidavit signed by Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon. The affidavit was filed in a lawsuit pending against…
State law banning concealed carry on public transit ruled unconstitutional
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com A federal judge in Rockford has declared a state law banning concealed firearms on public transit systems unconstitutional – at least as it applies to four individuals who challenged it in court. But the law remains in effect for everyone else as the parties in the case consider…
Capitol Briefs: Secretary of state enlists high schoolers to encourage organ donation
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – The secretary of state’s office is launching a new program to enlist Illinois high schoolers to promote organ donation. The organ and tissue donation registry, a voluntary database administered by the secretary of state, catalogs peoples’ wishes regarding organ donation after death. On Tuesday, Secretary of…
Longtime Harris supporters do victory lap for their candidate at DNC
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – On a cold morning in late 2019, Illinois state Sen. Mattie Hunter, D-Chicago, boarded a bus bound for Iowa to knock doors for then-U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris in her bid for the presidency. At one particular door – one of many she visited in “mostly white…
Illinois Democrats see abortion rights as ‘fundamental’ issue in 2024
By PETER HANCOCK & JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – Illinois delegates to the Democratic National Convention focused their attention Tuesday on reproductive rights, which some leaders say could eclipse the economy as a defining issue of the 2024 election campaign. “We want to be able to take care of our families. We…
DNC brings thousands of pro-Palestine protestors to Chicago’s streets
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – Protestors in Chicago this week have shut down streets, broken through security fencing, clashed with police and interrupted events associated with the Democratic National Convention. Rallies and marches have focused mainly on the war in Gaza and reproductive health care. Most protestors remained peaceful, but a…
Report shows Illinois union participation declining despite growth in new petitions
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Overall participation in labor unions has declined in recent years in Illinois, although the state has seen an increase in successful unionization efforts for the second year in a row. That’s according to the State of the Unions 2024 report, the latest installment in an annual…
Capitol Briefs: Stateville workers picket as relocation begins; flag redesign contest to open next week
By PETER HANCOCK & ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com Union workers planned to picket outside Stateville Correctional Center Thursday to amplify their concerns about how the planned closure and reconstruction of the maximum-security prison could affect their jobs and the state’s prison system as a whole. Calling for “No Chaos, No Layoffs,” members of…
