Francisco Montalvo Jr.

Montalvo Jr., Francisco Age 78, longtime Chicago Heights resident and community activist, died November 14, Friday morning at South Suburban Hospital. Survived by his beloved wife, Ester (nee Rodriguez); loving children, Francisco (Lane) III, Juanita (Thomas) Canfield, Joel and Mario (Paula) son who passed away a few years earlier; cherished grandfather to Erin (Joseph), Maria (JR), Jessica (Keith), Michelle (Greg), Adam, Nicole, Francisco IV, Jackie, Emily, Madeline, Haley, Zoe, Emily, Josiah and Daniel; great-grandfather to Antonio, Matteo, Sierra, Alexis, Zak, Drake, Elana, Treton, Levi, Mason and Colton; dear brother to Maria and Catarina; fond uncle to Yesenia (Angel); great-uncle to Adelina and Alejandro. Francisco was elected President for the AFL-CIO Local 7-765 where he represented the workers for The International Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union at Stauffer Chemical in Chicago Heights. Due to unprecedented union innovation and newly formed contract standards, that became a corner stone for other union contracts - The University recruited Francisco Montalvo Jr. to educate and enrich their Labor Relation Students with the same theory and strategies. He subsequently served as a Professor of Labor Industrial Relations at the University of Illinois I.L.I.R. teaching bi-lingual classes for adults. Exclusively developed and established the Spanish speaking sector of the Universities Labor Relations Department. Board Member of University Assembly - consulted and guided the Community Council of the College of Business and Public Service and College of Cultural Studies. Was a part of the birth of the University coming on board two years prior to grounding breaking and remaining ten years after to ensure its success. During the tenure with the University, Mr. Montalvo structured lectures, consulted professors and met with the President of the University to assess and guide the direction of its destiny. The President insisted that Mr. Montalvo was the first speaker at the opening graduation commencement. In 1998, a perpetual endowment scholarship was created and named in his honor at Governors State University. It will be awarded annually to an outstanding Latino student in the field of Labor Studies. Francisco worked extensively with Cesar Chavez on his Wrath of Grapes campaign on behalf of migrant workers whose families were suffering from the effects of "take-home toxins" encountered in the fields and well-known on the national labor scene as an instructor and lecturer. He served as a reader in various Catholic churches and was very active in the parish activities. He was very active in the local Democratic organizations as a champion for Labor and Latino causes. Ultimately, he always wanted to inspire our younger generation to dedicate themselves to their community and own in betterment. Francisco Montalvo Jr. never provided his services for financial gain - it always came from the heart. Visitation Monday from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Kerr-Parzygnot Funeral Home, 540 Dixie Hwy. (at Joe Orr Road), Chicago Heights, IL 60411. Funeral Mass at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday at St. Kieran Catholic Church, Chicago Heights, Illinois. Interment: Assumption Cemetery, Glenwood, IL. For info, call (708) 754-0016.