Alumni Spotlight: Remembering Robert Baher and Lillian Brulc

Joliet Township High School recently received a donated portrait of the late JTHS alumnus Robert Baher, from the Class of 1939. This portrait was painted by his friend, the late JTHS alumna Lillian Brulc. Both Baher and Brulc loved the arts, the Joliet community, and their Slovenian heritage.

Baher worked for Joliet Pattern Works as the office manager for his entire career. In his spare time, he delved deeply into the arts. He was an artist, a writer, a musician, and an opera lover. Robert also published a novel, Castrato, which sheds light on a bygone age in musical history. Baher’s love of the arts and his kindness were so remarkable that Baher’s life story was featured in the Herald News shortly after his passing.

From 1994 to 1997, Robert assisted the late Joliet artist Lillian Brulc in painting 10 murals behind St. Joseph Catholic Church, where they were both lifelong members, as a tribute to the Slovenian community in Joliet.

Brulc spent much of her professional life creating large, architecturally related works for religious and ethnic communities. Lillian’s art works have been exhibited in the United States, Latin America, China and Europe. Her themes include social justice, women’s heritage and contributions, war and peace, and ethnic dignity. Lillian Brulc’s full biography is available on her sister Lucija Dragovan’s website.

Joliet Township High School thanks Baher’s nephew Randy Konkel for the portrait donation and will house the historically-rich painting in the JTHS Alumni Office.

Donations may be made in Baher’s memory to the Robert J. Baher Literary Scholarship, Joliet Township High School, Attention Karla Guesman, 300 Caterpillar Drive, Joliet, Illinois, 60436.