DuPage Foundation mourns the loss of its friend and advocate Richard G. “Dick” Cline, who passed away on Sunday, March 19, 2023, at the age of 88, surrounded by his loving family.
A longtime resident of DuPage County, IL (Glen Ellyn and Wheaton) and later Florida (Englewood and Sarasota), Dick made his mark in the corporate world starting in the 1970s as chairman and CEO of Jewel Companies, Inc. (Albertsons, Inc.), and then later serving in the same capacity at Nicor, Inc. He also served on several prominent boards including Hussmann Corporation, Northern Trust’s Mutual Funds, K-Mart Corporation, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, and PepsiAmericas, and went on to establish himself as an equally prominent force in the philanthropic world.
Dick was an avid champion of DuPage Foundation, helping increase its visibility within the community and grow its impact. In June of 2000, he and his wife, Carole, made a gift of $1 million to the DuPage Forever Fund (formally the General Endowment Fund). This resulted in a significant increase in the Foundation’s capacity to annually respond to the most pressing needs of our community while encouraging several other major gifts. Dick was also an early volunteer leader for the Foundation, serving as co-chair of its Commission 2000: Building a Foundation for the Future initiative. At Dick’s encouragement, Carole would later go on to join the Foundation Board and co-chaired the Annual Benefit for many years with their good friend, the late Cleve Carney.
“We’ve had the honor of benefiting from Dick and his family’s friendship and advocacy since our early beginnings,” said Mike Sitrick, president & CEO of DuPage Foundation. “Dick has always been a shining light for philanthropy in our community and an outstanding ambassador.”
Dick and Carole have passed on their passion for philanthropy and volunteerism to their four children, 17 grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. Today, their son, Rich Cline, serves on the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and Rich’s daughter, Sara (Cline) Howland, serves as a Steering Committee member for the Next Generation Initiative, which Dick and Carole’s daughter, Linda Cline Raymond, helped start.
“We are so fortunate to have known Dick and to have benefited from his leadership and support,” added Sitrick. “Our sympathies are with the entire Cline family during this difficult time.”
Dick worked closely with and supported many local not-for-profits over the years including Boy Scouts of America (Three Fires Council), Central DuPage Hospital (now a part of Northwestern Medicine), Central DuPage Pastoral Counseling Center, Rush Medical Center, and United Way of Metro Chicago, among others.
He was a graduate of Glenbard (West) High School, and maintained a close relationship with his alma mater, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he attended on a Naval ROTC Scholarship, received his B.A. in Political Science, and was later chairman of the Foundation Board and co-chair of its Campaign Illinois, raising $1.6 billion for the institution. The founding endowment was used to start the Cline Center for Democracy in 2004 and Dick was recognized as Chicago Illini of the Year in 2007. His legacy lives on there through the Richard G. and Carole J. Cline Symposium, an annual event that invites prominent thought leaders to address the campus community on topics of great public significance. The symposium attracts world-renowned speakers and distinguished alumni. Dick was also an art enthusiast, collector, and supporter.
In recognition for all of their community leadership, Dick and Carole were honored in 2004 as “Philanthropists of the Year” by the West Suburban Philanthropic Network during its Annual Philanthropy Awards.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the DuPage Forever Fund.
