Paul was 'institutional memory' of Chicago Heights
August 25, 2009
BY CASEY TONER
To those who knew her best, Barbara Paul lived to immortalize Chicago Heights.
The longtime Chicago Heights resident and historian died suddenly Sunday at St. James Hospital in Chicago
Heights. She was 69.
Mrs. Paul was born in Crete in July 1940. Raised in Crete, she made frequent weekend trips to Chicago Heights
while growing up.
"Chicago Heights was the center of the area for employment and so forth and she took a liking to it," said her
husband, John Weiler. "She stayed here and she wanted to be in the scene."
After graduating from the University of Illinois with a degree in library science, Mrs. Paul began working as
director of the Chicago Heights Public Library in 1967.
She oversaw the construction of the current library, which was completed in 1972. She retired from the job in
2007.
"She was always very kind and gracious and willing to go out of her way to help the patrons of Chicago Heights,"
current library director Michael Davis said.
"You could say she loved the city of Chicago Heights with all the interest she took into its history."
After her retirement from the library, Mrs. Paul worked as a chairwoman for the Chicago Heights Historic
Preservation Advisory Committee.
"She was the institutional memory of the city," committee member Jennifer Fisher said. "There's no way to put it
into words how much Barb did and helped others. She was quite incredible."
Fisher recalled a moment when Mrs. Paul camped out at a condemned building that was set for demolition.
"She was passionate and crazy intelligent," Fisher said.
One of the many projects Mrs. Paul undertook in her lifetime was rehabbing her historical Victorian-style home in
the 2000 block of Euclid Drive.
Weiler said he and his wife signed the papers for the house May 1, 1975, one month before they got married.
"She loved it just because of the work she put into it, stripping the woodwork and trying to put it back to its
natural glory," Weiler said.
With writing partner Dominic Candeloro, Mrs. Paul also wrote nonfiction books about Chicago Heights. Their
books include "Chicago Heights Revisited," "Chicago Heights (Images of America)," and "Chicago Heights: At the
Crossroads of the Nation."
She is survived by Weiler as well as her brothers, Kenneth Paul and Garrett Paul.
"She was just very involved in community life and her surroundings after working with so many people over the
38 years," Weiler said. "She loved spreading the knowledge."