Darien Citizen Of The Year Named

DARIEN, IL — A retired teacher and longtime volunteer has been named Darien's 2020 Citizen of the Year. The City Council on Monday approved a committee's nomination of Arleta Peknik as the honored citizen.

At the regular council meeting, Alderwoman Mary Sullivan revealed the Citizen of the Year Committee's selection of Peknik, who has lived on Darien's 72nd Street with her husband, Tom, since 1974.

"When asked if she would accept the nomination, she noted how humbled she was to be part of Darien's Citizen of the Year legacy," Sullivan told the council.

Peknik has been active in the Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church in Darien, serving as a bereavement minister and a greeter at Sunday services. She has helped more than 80 families plan funeral services for loved ones.

Peknik also has volunteered at the hospitals in Hinsdale and La Grange, particularly helping the terminally ill in hospice care. She assists patients in finding their way around the hospitals. She belongs to plenty of other groups, including the Darien Historical Society.

During the 1980s, Peknik was a teacher's aide for physically handicapped classrooms at Concord Elementary School in Darien. In 1989, she received a bachelor's degree in elementary education at Elmhurst College and became a teacher of gifted children in a school in the Stickney School District. She retired in 2004, but still substitutes for the Stickney school. She walks two miles on her treadmill every day and bicycles.

"She is and will always be a legacy in Darien," Sullivan said.

Alderman Joseph Kenny noted the city didn't name a Citizen of the Year in 2019 because no one fit the mold. He said Peknik urged residents to nominate those who have given of themselves to the community.

Darien Mayor Joseph Marchese said he liked the committee's selection.

"I know her through the church," he said. "She is one of the sweetest people you will meet. She greets me at church at the 10:30 Sunday service."