New Lenox Man With Love Of Service Tapped To Lead Loyalty Day Parade

NEW LENOX, IL — New Lenox officials announced last week that a beloved longtime resident of New Lenox, former volunteer firefighter, and devoted Silver Cross Hospital volunteer will serve as grand marshal of this year's Loyalty Day Parade.

Jim Pitcairn will lead as Grand Marshal of the 44th annual William A. Athans and 18th District VFW Posts’ Loyalty Day Parade on Sunday, May 5.

Pitcairn was born in 1939 and was raised on the west side of Joliet, Illinois. At a young age he met Kathryn Kaldem and married her in 1960, a union that has endured for 64 years. Jim and Kathryn have two grown children that still reside in the area.

Pitcairn graduated from Joliet Township High School, Joliet Junior College, and Illinois State University, from where he holds both a Bachelors and Master’s degree in education. He did his post-graduate work at Northern Illinois University. Pitcairn taught for 33 years at Lincoln-Way High School, after having completed his student teaching there and then being asked to return full-time the following year. His first years at Lincoln-Way were spent as an art teacher, with the remaining 20 years as a District Administrator. Pitcairn also mentored special needs junior high students for District #122 after retiring from Lincoln-Way High School in 1995.

As a 61-year resident of the New Lenox community, Pitcairn spent his early years as a volunteer firefighter, joining the New Lenox Fire District in 1971. He became a paid full-time member of the fire district after retiring from the school district, and completed 45 years of service there.
Pitcairn and his wife are long-time members of the United Methodist Church of New Lenox, having been a part of the congregation since 1964. He has served on various leadership committees, including the Building Committee, where he was chairperson and oversaw a multi-million-dollar build-out addition. He continued on in that role part-time for two years after that to finish his commitment. Shortly thereafter, Jim received the "Flame of Inspiration Award" from the church for his dedication during that time.

In 2001, Pitcairn was voted "Citizen of the Year" by the New Lenox Chamber of Commerce for his dedicated years of service to the community, and in 2011, he received the Chamber’s very first "Lifetime Chamber Membership Award." In 2008, Jim co-chaired the referendum committee for the Village of New Lenox’s "Home Rule" status vote.

Pitcairn is currently a member of the New Lenox Lions Club where he has split his years between the Manhattan and New Lenox chapters and was recently honored by Lions International for 30 years of service to the organization. He also currently serves as a Director of the Silver Cross Hospital Foundation and continues to volunteer in the Emergency Department, where he has served for the past 16 years, accruing over 7,500 volunteer hours of service.

His lifetime hobbies are photography and woodworking, having been involved in building construction and cabinet/furniture making.

"Jim is the epitome of a servant leader and the Village of New Lenox is honored to recognize and celebrate his lifetime of service to our community," officials said.