The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest’s annual gala will take place on Thursday, March 12. The Heart of Our Villages Awards will be celebrated at the event. This year’s honorees include two couples: Sandra and David Sokol from Oak Park and Laurel and Dennis McMahon, formerly of Austin and River Forest.
The awards were established in 2018 on the 50th anniversary of the Historical Society. Frank Lipo, executive director of the Historical Society, notes the awards honor community members whose lives of service exemplify the spirit of Oak Park and River Forest through sustained volunteerism, support of local not-for-profits, a respect for diversity, and demonstrating a passionate commitment to making a difference across multiple organizations over many years.
“This is not just an award for someone who did something great this year,” he says, calling the awards more of a “lifetime achievement” acknowledgment.
Sandra and David Sokol in Oak Park
The Sokols moved to Oak Park in 1972, and it didn’t take long for the couple to become involved in community issues. When they were looking for a place to live in Oak Park, they noticed there were plenty of empty apartments but not a lot available to live in.
“Everything was redlined,” says David. They jumped into the Community Council at Hawthorne School (now Percy Julian Middle School), which focused on issues related to housing, business and schools.
The couple hasn’t stopped making a difference in more than 50 years in the community.
David, a professor of Art and Architecture at UIC, was elected to the Oak Park village board in 1977. He later served a total of 16 years on the Historic Preservation Commission, with nine years as chair.
Sandra, a former teacher, was also involved in the Hawthorne Community Council, which led to her involvement with Hephzibah and countless other community organizations. In 1985, she began working for the village government as a community relations representative and was elected Village Clerk in 1993, a position she held for 16 years.
The couple remain active, serving on local boards and facilitating community groups. Sandra says of their community involvement, “It keeps us going.”
Lipo says the Sokols were an obvious choice for the awards and says, “David and Sandra are always involved in the next committee, the next cause. They’re people who got involved from the start, and 50 years later, they are still involved. There are layers to their involvement: elected, appointed, volunteering — it’s a big sweep.”
Laurel and Dennis McMahon in River Forest
After owning and restoring two homes in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, the McMahons moved to River Forest and purchased an 1882 Victorian at 306 Keystone Ave. Their efforts restoring the William H. Hatch House landed the home on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bitten by the preservation bug, Laurel served two terms as board president of the Historical Society, and fostered neighborhood pride by forming the South of the Tracks Society in River Forest.
As the chairman for the Planning Committee for River Forest’s 125th anniversary celebration in 2005, she spearheaded an architecture survey of the village.
“We thought it was important to document what we have so people moving to the village can make an informed decision. When you buy a house, you’re not just buying that one physical home or property. You’re buying into a community.”
Laurel also was an organizing force behind River Forest’s Historic Preservation Ordinance and first chair of the village’s Historic Preservation Commission.
The McMahons owned and operated McMahon’s refreshments on Lake Street from 1993 to 1996, which led to Dennis’s work on the River Forest Plan Commission. While working his day job, which included stints as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary at Follett Corporation in River Grove, Dennis served on the Plan Commission from 1995 to 2015 and also was the longest serving member of the village’s Development Review Board from 1997 to 2015.
Lipo says of the McMahons, “For their entire time in River Forest, they’ve been involved. Laurel saw the value in not just caring about history but in creating community value.”
Both the Sokols and the McMahons embody the spirit of the Heart of Our Villages awards Lipo says.
“It’s not just one of these accomplishments, but for both couples, over and over again, it’s the things they did shaping the villages. All of these things aren’t self-operating. Someone has to step in and lead.”
For Lipo, the leadership of the Sokols and McMahons pays dividends that can’t be measured. “The good thing about awards like this is that they encourage others to get involved and take on a new role in the community. These couples are an inspiration.”
Before you go
The Heart of Our Villages awards will be presented at the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest’s annual gala on Thursday, March 12 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Nineteenth Century Club, 178 Forest Ave., Oak Park.
Tickets are $125 per person and can be purchased at: www.oprfmuseum.org or by calling 708-848-6755.
The gala evening kicks off with entertainment, hors d’oeuvres and beverages at 6:30, followed by the awards ceremony honoring the McMahons and Sokols at 7:30. All proceeds from the event benefit the operations of the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest.
