Joliet Loses Passionate Volunteer, Voice Of The City

JOLIET, IL — Lynne Lichtenauer hated the movie "March of the Penguins." But one day, when she was with her friend and Joliet resident Debbie Greene, she decided to put a coffee cup on her feet and walk it to the garbage can as though she were a penguin carrying an egg.

“She swears it was 600,000 miles that those penguins had to walk,” Greene said. “She walked around and walked around with this damn 'egg' on her feet. That just speaks to her sense of humor, and she definitely had one.”

Greg Peerbolte, executive director of the Joliet Area Historical Museum, agreed.

“We used to sit around and talk after the board meetings and my face would hurt from laughing.”

Lichtenauer passed away Feb. 23 after a non-COVID illness. She was 81. She had served on more than eight boards, most recently serving as the president of the Joliet Area Historical Museum board.

The thing the people who love Lichtenauer all shared in their stories while remembering her was how she gave you her full attention.

“When you were in a room with her, she was 9 times out of 10 holding your hand because she always gave you 100 percent of her attention and there would be 5,000 people in that room,” Greene said.

Greene is the former Director of Natural Resources and Grant Administration at the Joliet Park District.

“The word grace always came to mind,” Peerbolte said. “She could always make you feel like the most important person in the world when talking to her, or she could tell you to go to hell in a way that made you look forward to the trip.”

Lichtenauer was born in Joliet. And while she spent some time in New York, she had a passion for Joliet that always came through. Her longest board service was for more than 30 years as director of the Cultural Arts Council of the Joliet Area.

“Lynne was one of the strongest proponents of the Arts in Joliet,” Mohra Gavankar said. “Her enthusiasm and love for our city was contagious and she made us all follow her lead to make Joliet a better place for everyone.”

Gavankar served on several boards with Lichtenauer.

“I was so privileged to serve with her on several boards where she always came prepared with ideas and suggestions that enhanced the project or event and came ready to get down and dirty and make it all happen,” Gavankar said.

She was a founding member of the Old Joliet Prison Preservation Coalition, which began about four years ago.

“People have seen what we have done with the prison,” Peerbolte said. “We have completely rebuilt the board under her leadership. She changed our culture at the museum when she came in. She just fostered positivity.”

In addition to working with Lichtenauer as a board member, Peerbolte also worked with her with the podcast “The Spectator: Who Killed Molly Zelko.”

In one episode of the podcast, Lichtenauer is featured talking about growing up in Joliet.

“When you listen to the podcasts, when she is talking about the city of Joliet when she was growing up...she just loved where she was from,” he said. “She loved the people she just was born to be where she was from.”

In 2019, Lichtenauer was awarded the J.D. Ross Extraordinary Service Award for Distinguished Public Service. In a bio submitted to Patch by Peerbolte, the following board memberships are listed:

• Director, Lewis University Cultural Advisory Board – 11 years
• Director, Silver Cross Foundation Board – 25 years
• Director, Cultural Arts Council of the Joliet Area – 30 years
• Director, Joliet Park District Foundation – 10 years
• Director, Joliet Township High School Foundation – 16 years
• Director, Joliet Area Historical Museum Board – 11 years (President, 4
• years)
• Director, Rialto Square Theatre Foundation Board – Founding member 2011

"Lynne was special," Greene said. "She jumped into any project she felt worthy and gave it her all.

"She was a great friend. She was a personal friend; a great person and Will County will be left with a great (void.)"

Lichtenauer is survived by her son Eric Lichtenauer, granddaughter Lillian and longtime fiancé Lorin Lynch.