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2014 Hall of Fame Inductees
The inductees are:
- Community Service: W. Jack Chamblin, 82, of Robinson
- Education: Alvin “Al” Lopinot, 92, of Litchfield
- Labor Force: Walter F. Voyt, 69, of Plainfield
- Performance & Graphic Arts: Louis Kibort, 84, of Edwardsville
Community Service - W. Jack Chamblin
Chamblin established an annual scholarship at Robinson High School, funded athletic and theater programs at Lincoln Trail Junior College, and endowed the James Jones chair for literacy. He is a member of the University of Illinois Foundation and the Illinois State Historical Society. He donated land to both the Crawford County Humane Society and to the SPAC and Neuter Foundation. In another instance of community service, Chamblin also served seven years as chair for the Boy Scout Drive.
Education - Alvin “Al” Lopinot
He holds degrees in biology, botany and chemistry, but Lopinot’s talent is not limited to science. He authored six books, did PR for the local hospital, and still writes for a magazine. During his service in World War II, he developed an interest in photography which later resulted in a business and teaching college students. Lopinot has served Litchfield in many capacities on various boards and committees including as chairman of the Tree Board.
Labor Force - Walter F. Voyt
Voyt worked 31 years for Amoco Chemical Company in Joliet and is also a successful inventor. He developed important secret trade products and patents, including improving the cost and reliability of purifying industrial wastewater. He spent years studying how sunlight caused skin cancer, which has helped generations of sunbathers through the development of sunscreens; it was his patent sold to the Johnson & Johnson Company. Voyt is a true American chemist and inventor.
Performance & Graphic Arts - Louis Kibort
For almost 60 years, Kibort has taught square dancing to people of all ages. His photos, articles, programs, thank-you letters and other mementos from years of dancing date back to the early 1960s. Square dancing, which is the official dance of the state of Illinois, is his first love but Kibort and wife (Wenona) dance polka, swing, jitterbug and are also accomplished ballroom dancers. He has “do-si-doed” all over the country and says there’s nothing square about it.
Contact
For more information on the Senior Illinois Hall of Fame, contact the Illinois Department on Aging Senior HelpLine.
