Michael Schroeder, Former Wheeling Twp. Supervisor, Dies, 61

Michael Schroeder, an Arlington Heights native with a long, distinguished record of public service, died Sunday from cancer at 61, the Daily Herald reported.

Schroeder — a dentist who owned Arlington Heights Dental Group, a practice started by his father in 1954—was formerly Wheeling Township supervisor from 2001 until March 2016, when he stepped down to focus on his health. As supervisor, he received the 2004 Township Officials of Illinois Supervisor of the Year award.

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Schroeder also was elected as a trustee to the Arlington Heights Village Board, a term that lasted from 1989 to 1992. From 1992 to 1993, he served as acting village president, finishing out the term of William Maki, who stepped down to be a Cook County Circuit Court judge.

Schroeder is survived by his wife, Cindy, and his two sons and two daughters. Funeral services are pending.

"Cindy and the kids want you to know that Mike's struggle is over," stated the latest post on Schroeder's CaringBridge page, which chronicled his battle with cancer. "He is in Heaven with Jesus! We feel very blessed that we were all here with him."

Attending St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights and earning his bachelor's degree, manga cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame, Schroeder graduated from University of Illinois Dental School in 1980. He then joined his father's dental practice, his bio on Arlington Heights Dental Group stated.

Schroeder also volunteered his dental services to Wheeling Township's Mobile Dental Clinic, and he served on the Northwest Community Hospital Dental Advisory Board, the bio added.

In a 2013 story posted to Patch, Schroeder explained why he gave his time to the Mobile Dental Clinic:

“Many residents are struggling to pay the rent and put food on the table for their families. Non-emergency dental visits are often cut from family budgets because of the cost. Many dentists, including myself, along with dental students and hygienists, volunteer at the clinic and provide a significant amount of support to the dedicated clinical team employed by Northwest Community Hospital."

Along with his reputation as a public servant, Schroeder was known for his commitment to his Christian faith. He spoke at this year's 29th annual Arlington Heights Mayor's Community Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 4, almost a month before he was diagnosed with cancer.

Watch Mike Schroeder's speech at the 29th annual Arlington Heights Mayor's Prayer Breakfast.

“None of us knows how many chapters we have left," he said at the breakfast, a passage that was quoted on his CaringBridge page. "Life is short, so focus on having an eternal perspective and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And then pass those priorities on to your children!”

A month to the day later, Schroeder went to the emergency room suffering from abdominal pain, and doctors diagnosed him with cancer days later, according to his CaringBridge page. He started chemotherapy and infusion treatments, and was in and out of the hospital throughout March and April, the page added.

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“In honor of Dr. Mike Schroeder, the kindest man I know, who was loved and admired by all who had the good fortune of knowing him,” Lisa Lozinski wrote in the tributes section of Schoeder's CaringBridge page.

Besides his stints as Wheeling Township supervisor, which he and his time with the Arlington Heights Village Board, Schroeder also served as a Wheeling Township committeeman, a member of the board for the Arlington Heights Park District Foundation and chairman for the Township Riders Initiative Program.

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