Say Goodbye To Mr. Glencoe

March 16th, 2007 by ArLynn

At age 92, I’ll be lucky if I’m gumming my food and able to push the button on my automatic wheelchair. I’ll sit lazily watching the sunset, the television or the nurses at the home. But at age 92, I don’t think I’ll be canoe-ing. But then again, I don’t have the strength and the stamina of Mr. Glencoe.

Nanogenarian Stanton Schuman, a.k.a. Mr. Glencoe, was canoe-ing with his son Sam and his dog CC at the Skokie Lagoons near Willow Road in Northfield. His canoe tipped over and, unlike his son, he was not wearing a life vest. His body was found 500 feet downriver from the accident. His son and dog survived.

Schuman was the epitome of what a man should be. He was born in Chicago in 1915 but his family soon moved to Winnetka. He attended New Trier where he was captain of the football, track, basketball and cheerleading teams. This was when cheerleading was considered training for leadership–both Bush presidents were cheerleaders. Schuman later played football with soon-to-be President Gerald Ford at the University of Michigan. Went to law school and married Marie Friedlander–they were married 51 years and had four children before her death. He was drafted in 1943 and some of his first fighting experiences were during the Battle of the Bulge. He came home to Glencoe and he wanted to honor the men and women who fought on behalf of this country.

So Schuman started Glencoe Patriotic Days in 1945, organizing Memorial Day and Independence Day events. He remained the committee’s chairman until his death. He served on the park board, he helped found the Am Shalom congregation, and he did pro bono legal work for Glencoe’s African-American Episcopal church St. Paul’s AME. He gave to the North Shore and in return, the North Shore loved him back. This week, flags at the Village Hall in Glencoe have flown half mast in honor of Mr. Glencoe.