Hodgkins honored former Mayor Noel B. Cummings Monday evening, April 25, and residents packed Village Hall to celebrate a man who transformed the village over 43 years in office before retiring in 2022. Cummings died April 12 at his home in Mississippi at age 98.
Members of the Robert E. Coulter American Legion Post 1941 of La Grange opened the evening with “Taps” and a 21-gun salute on Lyons Street outside village hall.
A candlelight vigil followed inside the boardroom and a video montage was played.
Cummings was born and raised in Mississippi and returned there after his retirement. He was buried with military honors at Hopewell Methodist Church Cemetery in Mississippi.
When Cummings moved to Hodgkins in the early 1960s, the village was a small town dotted with trucking terminals and bars. By the time he left office, it had become a thriving commercial hub generating over $440 million annually — a transformation that Monday’s street dedication of Noel B. Cummings Way at the entrance to the Quarry Shopping Center, was designed to honor.
Cummings was elected village trustee in 1975 and village president in 1979. Under his leadership, two major projects reshaped the village: the Quarry Shopping Center and the UPS sorting facility. He also championed a Beautification Program that replaced bars on neighborhood corners with new homes throughout town.
Rodney Cummings, the former mayor’s great-nephew, was the first to speak and offered a personal reflection on a man he called “Uncle Barney” — a figure who loomed large in his life both as a public servant and as family.
Rodney described his earliest memory of his uncle: when he was a very young boy, he jumped into what he thought was his grandfather’s lap, only to discover it was Uncle Barney’s face staring back at him — a moment that drew laughter from the room and began a lifelong bond.
In 2008, Cummings invited his great-nephew to visit Hodgkins for a week. Rodney was struck by the village’s charm and compactness, insulated from Chicago’s sprawl by a river, forest preserves, and an industrial park. He decided to move there.
“I soon learned that he was responsible for leading a team of people in rerouting Hodgkins from its rust-belt path to that of a thriving town booming with modern commercial and industrial concerns,” Rodney said.
Rodney described his uncle as one of the kindest-hearted people he had ever known. “I never once saw him act with any kind of malice or revenge. His reflexive impulse was to forgive,” Rodney said. “He was so quick to bury the hatchet on past disagreements, and he was always working hard to forge ahead with vigor and teamwork.”
He recalled his uncle’s self-effacing humor. “He once posited to me that if you can spell Alzheimer’s, you don’t have it,” Rodney said. “He made sure he could spell that word, and spell it correctly.”
“My Uncle Barney was not perfect,” Rodney said. “But he was also one of the kindest-hearted human beings I have ever, ever known. He was generous to a fault. I think his most Christ-like characteristic was how quick he was to forgive and move forward.”
After Cummings spoke, Village Attorney John O’Connell spoke of his friendship and work relationship with Mayor Cummings as he became village attorney when Cummings took office.
Comptroller Melody Salerno, who worked alongside Cummings for 23 years, spoke of his personal generosity and his ability to unite a fractured community.
Salerno recalled how Cummings hired her during one of the hardest periods of her life.
She described his philosophy as simple: family first. Over the years, working in village hall felt less like a job and more like coming home to family, Salerno said.
Salerno credited Cummings with transforming Hodgkins from a divided town into a unified community. When he took office in 1979, the village was fractured by conflict. Cummings changed that by inviting past opponents to join his team.
“He didn’t just lead this village, he united it,” Salerno said.
She closed with gratitude. “Thank you, Mayor, for changing our lives, for believing in us, and for giving so much of yourself. You will always be in our hearts.”
Ben Shipper, owner of longtime business Event Equipment in Hodgkins, offered a prayer.
Next to speak was Hodgkins Mayor Ernest Millsap.
“We’re all here tonight to honor and celebrate the life of our good friend Mayor Noel B. Cummings — a man who dedicated his life to serving others,” Millsap said.
Millsap urged attendees to view a 1976 aerial photo of Hodgkins to understand the scale of change. “The mayor and board of trustees helped change the residential area from bars on every corner to new homes throughout the town,” he said.
He credited Cummings with a philosophy of service that extended beyond development. “The mayor believed that true happiness comes from helping those in need,” Millsap said. “Those of us who worked with the mayor often spoke of his tireless energy, compassion, and his ability to see the best in everyone.”
Millsap concluded by unveiling the street sign dedication and calling on the village to honor Cummings’ legacy through continued service. “Let those words guide us as we move forward, honoring the mayor’s memory through our actions and our commitment to helping others,” he said.
After the ceremony, those attending the celebration were invited to have refreshments while sharing stories of Mayor Cummings.