Evanston Obituary: Chief Sanders "Sam" Hicks, 90

EVANSTON, IL — Former Evanston Fire Chief Sanders "Sam" Ivy Hicks passed away at home Friday of complications related to Parkinson's disease. He was 90.

Hicks was born March 3, 1927 in Atlanta, Georgia to Roy and Fannie Fuller Hicks. The family moved to Evanston in 1930. He attended Foster Elementary and Evanston Township High School where he excelled as an athlete, he played baseball with the Evanston Flashes and was an avid Ice Skater. He enlisted in the US Army during WWII.

In November of 1950, he was recruited to be the first African-American fireman in Evanston. He faced many challenges, and in his own words told an audience of current and former fire department members gathered at Fire Department Headquarters honoring his service that after his service in the army he considered going back to school to get a mechanical engineering degree.

But four years into the job of being a firefighter he said, "I fell in love with the fire service. I loved going there, I loved working. It was 12 years before I called in sick the first time."

He had risen from candidate to fire captain by 1963 and then was promoted again to assistant chief of training in 1973. He served as the department's training officer where one of his accomplishments was encouraging the use of paramedics and training local residents on life saving techniques.

In 1980, he was promoted to Chief, the first African-American Fire Chief in Evanston. He retired in August of 1987.

In his spare time in 1966, he started the Evanston Speed Skating Club. Sam was Commissioner of Officials for the ASU. He served in that post from 1988-1993, with the primary responsibility of observing and evaluating the performance of the ASU officials at the National Championship competitions.

Sam was best known for his unceasing effort to make speed skating accessible to the youth of Evanston. One can with certainty say that he was instrumental in Shani Davis, the Olympic gold medalist, from his both trying speed skating initially, and continuing with the sport.

He was inducted into the Speed Skating Hall of Fame May 23, 1999 at Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, as a coach, fund raiser, meet director, promoter, National Starter since 1974, International Starter, Chief Starter at World competitions in 1985, 1988, and 1990. Sam conducted ISU Starters Clinics and promoted the requirement of appropriate medical procedures at national championships.

He also was a professional photographer. He was preceded in death by his young son Sanders Ellis Hicks, his parents Roy Hicks and Fannie Brewer, his brother Ellis Hicks and his sisters Frances Hicks, Harriet Thompson and Alice Tregay. He is survived by his loving wife Karen Alysia Lee, his sons Stanley Brady Hicks and Michael Jon (Jill) Walters, caring grandfather of Jake and Kate Walters, and many loving cousins, brother-in-law, nieces, nephews, colleagues, friends and the Evanston Community.

Services are as follows:

Wake: Friday, June 23, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., at Donnellan Family Funeral Services, 10045 Skokie Blvd. in Skokie. The Fire Department Walk-through will take place at 7 p.m.

Visitation Service: Saturday, June 24, 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., at Donnellan Family Funeral Services.

Funeral Services: Saturday, June 24, 10:30 a.m. at Unitarian Church of Evanston, 1330 Ridge Ave., Evanston.

» via Donnellan Family Funeral Services