Burton W. Mall

Visitation for Burton Wayne Mall, 84, of Long Grove since 1970, formerly of Oak Park/La Grange, will be held on Sunday, October 19, 2025, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Ahlgrim Family Funeral Home, 201 Northwest Hwy, Palatine, IL, 60067. The burial will be held Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. in Greenwood Cemetery, Galena, Illinois and will be attended by immediate family.

Burton was born January 13, 1941, in Oak Park, and he passed away October 10, 2025, in Long Grove. He was deeply cared for and visited by loved ones in his final days, passing peacefully with their love surrounding him. Burton is the beloved husband of Bettina C. Mall (nee Crawshaw); loving father of Derek (Jean) Mall, Dane (Allison) Mall and Danielle Mall Colan; loving grandfather of Owen, Caden, Annabel, Whitney, Willow, Joanna, Ryan, Lauren; dear son of Samuel and Catherine (nee Ritzma) Mall.

Burt met Tina, his wife of nearly 60 years, while they were both students at Southern Illinois University. Together, they settled in Long Grove, Illinois, where they began raising their family. Professionally, he worked in the data processing field, ultimately retiring as Vice President of Management Information Systems at Intermatic Inc. But Burt’s talent extended well beyond his professional career, serving as a Long Grove Village Trustee for 12 years and as Village President for one year, where he played a key role in protecting the area’s wetlands and helping prevent the expansion of a highway that would have cut through the community.

After retiring, Burt fulfilled a lifelong dream by co-owning and operating the historic Soo Line 2-8-2 No. 1003 steam locomotive. As a young man, he spent countless hours photographing steam engines, determined to preserve their memory before they disappeared — and in adulthood, he brought that passion to life. He was a member of numerous railroad and historical societies. Burt authored Steam's Last Season: A Portfolio of Steam Locomotive Photographs, 1955–1960, a well-respected tribute to the trains he was fascinated by.

Burt had a drive for adventure and history that he shared with his family. He brought them to camp in the mountains of Colorado on an old train bed, to Europe’s crumbling castles and prehistoric caves, and to a little cabin among the tall pine trees in Silver Lake, Wisconsin. He was infamous for taking the family spelunking in abandoned mines across Southern Illinois, for pulling over at every antique shop, for insisting the road less taken was faster (and had less traffic), and for always eating at the local town joint.

Burt had a gift of making old, broken things functional and beautiful again — especially antique clocks, oil lamps, and farm tractors. He was a lifelong collector, a restorer, and someone who saw history and potential in things others overlooked.

Burt will be remembered lovingly as a devoted husband, a supportive father, and a passionate advocate for his family, community, and the things he cared about most.

In lieu of flowers, memorials will be appreciated to Soo Line #1003 (Steam Locomotive Heritage Association), https://steamlocomotiveheritage.org/contribute/