Kris Ronnow [who died Oct. 25 at the age of 87] was my supervisor at Oak Park’s Community Relations Department during my first year of grad school, 1974-75. I was an intern, working there two days a week. I remember him as a warm, tough man, who was very committed to community organization and racial justice.
I wrote up the experience a bit in a Viewpoints piece a few years ago (https://www.oakpark.com/2020/06/18/peeling-back-the-layers-of-racial-bias)
One thing I didn’t mention in the piece was that after my mom got very upset about my having filed a complaint against her realtor, Kris went to the trouble of talking with her on the phone, calming her and reassuring her that I had done the right thing.
He had a way of seeing the big picture and yet engaging very personally with individuals on issues that could be fraught with tension.
Rich Kordesh
Oak Park