Those of you who have lived in Mount Prospect for a number of years must surely remember George Gattas. A truly caring and vivacious man, George impacted the lives of many students at Prospect High School as well as the many parents, friends and neighbors who had the great privilege of knowing him.
Community service and the name George Gattas go hand in hand. The Mount Prospect Lions Club . . . the Mount Prospect Police and Fire Commission . . .the United Way of Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights . . . the American Legion . . . the VFW . . . these are just a few of the many organizations and committees that claimed George as a volunteer.
But who was this man named George, really?
Born August 3, 1925, in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, George attended Shenandoah High School, then went on to receive his Bachelor of Arts from Southwestern College, Kansas, and his Masters Degree from George Peabody College, Tennessee. He served in the Army, 65th Infantry Division from 1943 until 1946, the European Theater of Operation from 1945 until 1946, and was a recipient of the Purple Heart. He began his career in 1950 with the Boeing Airplane Company as a planner/supervisor.
But working with youth was his true passion.
He started teaching in Caney, Kansas, in 1952 where he was also a coach and athletic director. In 1962, he became a physical education and sociology teacher at Prospect High School where he was also the football and track coach. From 1965 until 1984, he was the division head of physical education, health and driver education, as well as Prospect High’s Athletic Director until he retired in 1984.
George and his wife, Phyllis, came to Mount Prospect in 1962 where they raised a family of three sons and two daughters, and became the proud grandparents of seven. His shining light lives on in the memory of the many people whose lives he touched.
His volunteer work for the Village of Mount Prospect is just one example. George felt very connected to the village. A Commissioner for the Mount Prospect Police and Fire Departments, he was always honored to be asked to swear in new candidates. A senior himself, George was an integral part of the “Save Our Senior” committee. And he also put in countless hours on the committee overseeing the construction of the police and fire building.
And of course, there was his work with United Way. Looking for a new way to involve young people in caring for their community, George was instrumental in starting the United Way Youth Commission. He organized a United Way marathon where residents would ‘run for fun’ throughout our community. And as “Restaurant Days” chairman, he started a community tradition that was carried on for many years. Shortly before his death, George had agreed to act as chair of the United Way Advisory Board for Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights. His work with United Way continued through the efforts of his wife, Phyllis, and until she passed away in 2005. Today, their children carry on the tradition by volunteering on the golf committee for the annual event that bears their father’s name.
But George Gattas’ tireless efforts didn’t stop there. In addition to his job as Athletic Director at Prospect High School, he served as the President of the Illinois Athletic Director’s Association. In 1999, he was inducted posthumously into the Illinois Athletic Directors’ Hall of Fame. George was also recognized posthumously by the Mount Prospect Special Events Commission with a “Shining Light Award” for efforts which shine on long after his flame was extinguished.
Yes, George Gattas was man who, once you met him, you could not forget.
Just ask his son, Joe. “When my brother, Tom, and I would start to fight or wrestle in the living room, our Dad would start moving the furniture to the edge of the room so we would have more space. Our Mom would come in and tell him he should be stopping us instead of encouraging us. Dad would just laugh.”
Not only did George know everyone, he remembered them. Local attorney John Haas recalls the first time he met George at a United Way meeting. “He came up to me, introduced himself and said, ‘John, how are your sisters, Jaci, Jill and Jeri?’ Well, George hadn’t seen my sisters in well over twenty years and it never ceases to amaze me that with the thousands of students George taught and coached that he remembered my sisters’ names and recited them without hesitation.”
Just ask anyone who was fortunate enough to know him, if only for a little while . . . the many students who will carry the ideals, knowledge and moral principles he instilled in them . . . the countless volunteers who worked shoulder to shoulder with him as he shared his many talents and gifts with those in need.
Perhaps Emerson says it best in his description of a successful life . . .
“To laugh often and to love much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the approval of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have worked and played with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed a little easier because you have lived – this is what it means to succeed.”
George Gattas was a success.
Arlington Heights School District #25, Faith Lutheran Church, Northwest Community Hospital, the Salvation Army – Des Plaines Corps., Village Bank & Trust, Village of Arlington Heights and Wheeling Township joined forces with Northwest Suburban United Way to make the first Arlington Heights “Ready for School’ community initiative a success.
For six years, HSBC – North America has partnered with United Way as the title sponsor for the annual “Day at the Races” event at Arlington Park. As always, the event promised to be an exciting day of racing, fancy hats, silent auctions and – most importantly — making a difference for people in the 18 communities served by Northwest Suburban United Way.
