A suburban community is remembering the life of a beloved and longtime Salvation Army bell ringer, who died suddenly the day before Christmas Eve.
Roger Paulhus was a familiar face in Elmhurst and played a key role in the Red Kettle campaign. Those who knew him said his dedication made him a top earner for the cause.
Around the holidays, customers at the Jewel Osco on York Street in Elmhurst said they would often see a familiar face.
“He’s been here forever my husband grew up in Elmhurst and he remembered him from when he was young,” said Felecia Brandies-Konieczka, customer. “He always said hello and super friendly he was always there.”
For more than 20 years, Paulhus worked as a bell ringer raising money to fund several programs and services, including the food pantry and emergency assistance.The 64-year-old rarely missed shift, but last week they said he called off.
“On Monday he had called us to let us know that he wasn’t feeling well and so Tuesday morning we went and we said ‘Roger is not answering the phone, he’s not answering any texts,’” said Salvation Army Captain Enrique Coreano. “So we went and did a wellness check on him and that’s when we found the news.”
Coreano said they’re heartbroken by his sudden passing.
“We considered him part of our family so it was very challenging for many of us around here,” he said. “He was a man of few words but when he spoke people listened. He was kind. He was gracious to everybody.”
Paulhus rang when it rained, when it was cold, and when it snowed. He didn’t let it stop him over the years.
“I would ask him different questions, ‘alright Roger, are you okay, is this okay, are you going to be okay?’” he shared. “He would say ‘just put me out there, just put me out there’—he was never concerned about himself.”
Coreano told NBC Chicago he learned from Paulhus’ family that bell ringing brought him a lot of joy around the holidays. He formed many friendships along the way.
“He’s going to be missed and it’s going to be hard to replace Roger,” he said.
Paulhus died from natural causes. Other longtime volunteers set up a kettle to honor his memory in the final two days of the campaign.Coreano said his service helped hundreds if not thousands of families in need.
“He was just so kind and so generous he would just say yeah, well, I’m just trying to help out the community and we would just want to say thank you,” he said.
The community will honor his memory at a church service at the Salvation Army Community Center in Oakbrook Terrace on Sunday morning at 11 a.m.
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