Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
by Mario Manfredini
Louis Stillo grew up on the Polk and California on the city’s West Side. His family moved to Berwyn in 1953, and he graduated from Piper Grade School that following year. As a teen, Louis was always involved in area sports, and as an adult, he took on the role of coaching, earning the nickname “Uncle Lou” to all the children he had come to mentor. Louis was involved in the St. Mary of Celle Little League and Berwyn Recreation Pony League Baseball, Basketball and Softball. Throughout the years, many a Berwyn youth was coached by Uncle Lou.
The Italian American Civic Organization of Berwyn was founded in 1965 by a group of men who wanted to see Italians fairly represented in their neighborhood. It was about six months after the formation of the IACOB that Louis joined this fraternal organization and began to make new friendships and be more involved in his community. Over the years, Louis held every office in the organization, from board member to sergeant-at-arms to secretary, finally serving as president. Throughout his tenure on the IACOB board, Uncle Lou was always the mentor and coach to the up-and-coming members.
Louis retired from the city of Berwyn in 2005 after serving for 28 years as assistant building director and lastly as the city sealer, Again, throughout those years, Uncle Lou was mentoring and coaching his staff and those he came in contact with.
Louis and his wife of 53 years, Antoinette “Cookie”, raised their family in Berwyn, where “The Coach” had his own basketball team of five sons. Uncle Lou is now retired in Homer Glen, where you can find “Papa Lou” enjoying family time with his nine grandchildren, coaching and mentoring them now as he has with so many before.
The IACOB would like to honor our member, our friend, our coach, our Uncle Lou as the 2013 Man of the Year for the 48 years of active participation in our organization. Over those years, Uncle Lou has continued to stay involved in the organization by coming to our monthly board and general meetings, where he always chimes in with words of wisdom. He is one of our weekly Bingo volunteers and helps with every fundraiser we have, even hosting our Night at the Races.
Please join us in celebration on Saturday, Nov. 30, at Alta Villa Banquets in Addison. A plated steak dinner with Enzo’s famous appetizer buffet and open bar is only $75 per person. We are also holding our annual cash raffle with $19,500 in prize money. Tickets are $200 each and include two dinner tickets. Only 250 raffle tickets will be sold. Please call Frank Amaro at 708-359-3710 to RSVP or purchase a lucky raffle ticket.
