Village Dedicates Park Pavilion to Longtime Employee

“More precious than gold.” “Unforgettable, selfless, caring …” “The heart of the recreation center.”

These are just a few of the phrases speakers used to describe the namesake of the Nancy Aldridge Memorial Pavilion at the facility’s dedication ceremony Monday night.

Aldridge, who served as office manager for the for 18 years, lost her battle with lung cancer at age 57 in December 2011.

But Nancy’s legacy lives on through her years of tireless dedication to the recreation department, which helped ensure the passage of referendums to build the village’s recreation center in 2002 and the implementation of a real estate transfer tax to benefit the parks and recreation department. The enthusiastic office manager was also instrumental in securing various grants for parks throughout the village.

And now, a permanent reminder of Nancy’s impact on the community stands directly behind her beloved recreation center at 900 W. Romeo Road. The Nancy Aldridge Memorial Pavilion will serve as a family gathering spot for years to come – with six picnic tables, two concrete bean-bag game sets and shuffle boards, all of which are ADA accessible.

At the dedication ceremony Monday night, Romeoville Village Manager Steve Gulden said he found it difficult to capture Nancy’s personality and legacy  – so he delivered a list of adjectives to describe the woman with whom he worked closely over the years.

“(She was) unforgettable, courageous, generous, real, simple, eloquent, strong, a good listener, a family person … a nature lover – that’s why this pavilion is such a great tribute here at O’Hara woods," Gulden said. "She was selfless, caring, compassionate, very creative. She loved life. She was loyal, honest, and most of all, she was a mom – to all of us who knew her as a friend.

“Nancy’s legacy is a simple one,”Gulden said.  “Public service, placing others first, and live for your family."

Gulden asked residents to keep Alridge’s legacy in mind whenever they enjoy one of the village’s many recreational facilities.

“As you drive by this pavilion or walk by it … to picnic at the woods or play tennis at the rec center remember (Nancy’s) values of self-sacrifice, family and community,” Gulden said. “This pavilion stands as a tribute to Nancy and those values. She will be greatly missed.”