NL_060117

8 | June 1, 2017 | The New Lenox Patriot news
newlenoxpatriot.com
Late New Lenox resident receives geography award
James Sanchez, Editor
Donald Tolen may have
passed away months ago,
but his contributions to the
Illinois Geographical Society
were never forgotten.
Tolen received the 2017
Distinguished Geographer
Award for his efforts with the
organization for close to three
decades before he succumbed
to stomach cancer in November
2016 – a bout he battled
for more than three years. His
wife, Phillys, daughter, Dianna
Perrico, and friends traveled
to Champaign to receive
the award on his behalf in late
April during the IGS’ annual
conference.
“I was very surprised,”
Phyllis said. “I didn’t expect
[the IGS] to be calling.”
IGS member Ani Thompson-Smith
presented the
award during which she
opened her speech by saying
it was bittersweet. Tolen
attended the annual conference
for 28 consecutive
years before being too ill to
attend in 2016.
“He was known by most
IGS members and if one
were unknown, this gentleman
would typically introduce
himself first and start a
conversation,” Smith said in
her speech.
The annual conference is
more than just a gathering
of geographers. It’s hosted
at a different site in the state
every year, partly because of
the field trip that coincides
with it. The IGS sponsors
these educational trips for
the public to join for free.
IGS member and Tolen’s
friend Joseph Kubal recalled
a time when they went on a
field trip to Charles Mound
in Jo Daviess County where
the highest peak in Illinois
is located. Kubal said it was
a tumultuous two-mile hike
that Tolen endured, despite
his age and health.
Kubal said Tolen represented
everything the Distinguished
Geographer Award
stood for. It is given to a
prominent geographer in the
organization who has given
up themselves and has been
dedicated to promoting geography.
Kubal was part of
the decision process for the
award. Although it is given
annually, he viewed Tolen’s
recognition as a lifetime
achievement award.
“It was a longstanding
contribution where he was
always there to help, and he
helped promote geography
any way he could – from
writing political letters to
teaching students and helping
out at meetings,” Kubal said.
Broker - Management Team
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The IGS has about 150
members in the group, mostly
comprised of teachers.
The IGS’ efforts are becoming
more important with the
shift in some schools deviating
away from having geography
as its own class.
“[Don] would be astounded
and petrified that there
was a report last week that
only 36 percent of the U.S.
population knew where
North Korea was,” Kubal
said. “Don wanted to make
sure that geography was
promoted in the state, even
with the funding cuts and the
movement of geography into
many history departments.”
Finding a passion
Tolen initially majored in
engineering at Eastern Illinois
University until he took a geography
class at school that
changed his career path. Phyllis
said he was drawn to the
teacher and the students in the
field – one of whom became
his best man at his wedding.
He and Phyllis spent a lot
of their early married life
traveling across the U.S.,
countries in Europe, Philippines,
Cambodia, Japan, Indonesia,
Thailand and Cambodia
for their enjoyment and
also for Don to learn about
each destination’s geography.
Phyllis remembered a time
when they went to Mammoth
Cave in Kentucky, and
instead of going in it, Don
went on top of the cave to
study its formation.
“When we went on a vacation,
we didn’t get to look
at the things you usually
look at.,” Phyllis said with a
laugh. “He was just geography
all over.”
Tolen used those experiences
from traveling and applied
it as a teacher at Joliet
West and Joliet Central from
1968-1994. He used the pictures
he took from those trips
and turned them into slides
for learning material in his
classroom. The use of images
(Left to right) Illinois Geographical Society member Ani Thompson-Smith, Phyllis Tolen,
Dianna Perrico and IGS member Michael Cornebise pose for a picture with the 2017
Distinguished Geographer Award, which was awarded to Tolen’s husband, Donald, who
died in 2016. Photos Submitted
Phyllis and Donald Tolen were married for 52 years. Phyllis received a recent IGS award on
Donald’s behalf.
left constant reminders to his
students, Phyllis said.
“He made geography interesting,
I think,” she said.
“And he made students think.
One student recalled when she
went to the Grand Canyon,
it was like stepping into his
classroom again because all
those [pictures] came back.”
Extending his passion to the
IGS
Tolen joined the IGS as an
avenue to spread the importance
of geography and pick
the brains of other educators.
Kubal was one of many
he befriended. Kubal said
most geographers specialize
in one area within the realm,
but Tolen was interested and
knowledgeable in nearly all
disciplines.
Aside from geography,
Tolen was also generous
with the bounty of crops
he grew in his garden and
Please see GEOGRAPHy, 11