Obituaries

F. James Lumber was a Founding CLC Trustee, Round Lake Village President

Services have been scheduled for F. James Lumber, 78.

F. James Lumber, a founding trustee of the College of Lake County, passed away on Monday, Dec. 2, 2013. He served on the CLC board of trustees for 35 years and was the board’s first chairman.

“This is a great loss to the CLC community,” said Board Chairman Amanda Howland. “Jim Lumber was elected as a member to the very first board of trustees and helped hire the college’s first president and employees. He has left an indelible stamp on the college.”

“Jim was the first board chairman because of his great diplomacy and ability to work with people,” said Trustee Richard Anderson. “He was a mentor to me, and when I was a young trustee coming onto the board, took me under his wing, going out of his way to teach me what trustees should know.  He was a real gentleman for whom I had great respect. I looked up to him.”

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“Wherever he went, Jim Lumber was a great ambassador for the college,” said CLC President Jerry Weber. “People were very drawn to his kindness. He and his wife Barbara Lumber were very gracious to my wife and me when we arrived in Lake County. They really helped us feel welcome.”

Mr. Lumber was first elected to the board of trustees in December 1967. He served on the board until April 1976, when he made an unsuccessful run for Congress. He was re-elected to the board in April 1977 and served subsequent terms until going off the board in April 2003. A long-time resident of Round Lake, he also served as village president of that community from 1989 to 2001.

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Mr. Lumber was an attorney with a practice in Antioch. He held bachelor of science and master of arts degrees in English from Marquette University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan.

CLC honored Mr. Lumber by naming him the recipient of the college’s Illinois Outstanding Citizen Award in 1994, and in 2003, naming its performing arts center after him.

In keeping with Mr. Lumber’s long association with the college, his visitation will be held in the foyer of the James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts on the Grayslake campus from 3-8 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 5. A funeral mass will be said for him on Friday, Dec. 6, at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Round Lake.

Mr. Lumber is survived by his wife Barbara; sons James and Robert; daughter-in-law Chris; grandchildren James, Jonathan, Alison, Lauren and Timothy; brother John; and sisters Charlene Van Kirk and Mary Olander.

In lieu of flowers, donations in James Lumber’s name can be made to the CLC Foundation.

—Submitted by the College of Lake County.


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