Worth Township Clerk Thomas 'Bud' Gavin Dies at 87

Thomas "Bud" Gavin, Worth Township Clerk for the past 23 years, died on July 7 at the age of 87. 

Mr. Gavin also served as a Trustee for 8 years. 

Mr. Gavin was born on Feb. 25, 1925, in Chicago and attended St. Margaret of Scotland Grammar School, St. Rita High School and DePaul University. For over 50 years, he had lived in the Hometown and Oak Lawn communities where he and his wife, Lila, raised six children. He was a veteran of the United States Navy and served on the USS Bennington. 

During his tenure as Township Clerk he was responsible for the installation of the first computer system. He oversaw the issuance of handicap parking permits, the sale of Cook County vehicle stickers, passport applications and ran a free travel assistance program.  

As an Oak Lawn resident, Mr. Gavin served on the Civil Service Commission, the Zoning and Planning board and the Oak Lawn Celebration Commission. He is a past president of Oak Lawn Baseball and was an active member of .  

His other civic projects included starting coached football at our Lady of Loretto in Hometown and coordinating “Home Runs for Hope”, a fundraiser for Misericordia Home for Special Children. 

He was also a member of the Irish/American Alliance, Back of the Yards Business and Industrial Committee and was on the Rally Committee.  He had served as President of the Stockyard Kiwanis International and had been president of the Cook County Clerk’s Association and Vice President of the TOCC Clerk’s Division.

Mr. Gavin lectured or taught business and management at Eastern Illinois University,  and St. Xavier University.  A lifelong successful businessman, he retired from R. H. Donnelly Company and for many years worked as the community relations director of Prospect Federal Bank in Worth, where he helped establish the Worth Farmers Market.

In addition to his wife Lila, Mr. Gavin is survived by his children Thomas (Linnea) Gavin III, Dr. Glenn (Mary Ellen) Gavin, Carol (Larry) Althoff, Jack (Karen) Gavin, Lynn (Brian) Reilly and the late Laura Coughlin. His grandchildren: Thomas IV, Scott, Matthew, Eric, Michael, Sarah Elizabeth, Kristin, Jack, Brendan, Laura, Sheila, Brianna and the late Amy and Kara.; Great-grandchildren Connor, Alexis and Dylan; his brother Rev. John "Jack" Gavin and many nieces and nephews. 

Visitation will be held Friday, July 13 from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at in Oak Lawn. The funeral will be Saturday, July 14, at 9 a.m. from the funeral home to St. Catherine of Alexandria Church in Oak Lawn for a 10 a.m. Mass.

In leiu of flowers, memorials can be made to Misericordia Home at 6300 N. Ridge Avenue, Chicago, IL 60660 or Chron's and Colitis Foundation of America, Illinois Chapter, 2250 E. Devon Avenue, Suite 244, Des Plaines, IL 60018.