In Loving Memory Of Donna Clesen
By Kevin Gosztola and Sara Lindsay
Donna Clesen was a longtime resident of Elmwood Park, the leader of the Elmwood Park Garden Club, and a tremendous supporter of this newsletter. She attended nearly all of the “Community Conversations” that we held at the Elmwood Park Public Library in 2025.
As the newsletter urged the library to follow its meeting room policy in a manner that ensured access for not only the Elmwood Park Advocate but all residents, Donna stood with us.
On December 19, 2025, Donna died at the age of 77. A celebration of life service was held at the Belmont Funeral Home on January 10, and we attended the service to pay our respects.
Her wife, Frances (or “Fran”), sat at the front of the chapel and accepted condolences afterward. The tribute displays included a flower arrangement from Village President Angelo “Skip” Saviano. Library Board Trustees SK Narayan and Mike Monahan were present as well.
The celebration of Donna’s life focused on “the burst of energy” that she “exuded when she welcomed you.” There was “always this kind of impish, really energetic, really big smile that Donna” would shower on others. She consistently was letting others know how glad she was that you were there, and despite being 77 years old, Donna often seemed like the youngest person in the room.
As shared during the service, Donna was always determined to “make the very best bread possible.” She was known to offer gardening tips, like “how to look after and care for flowers and vegetables.” She was a lifelong educator. Winning a “Teacher of the Year” award made her proud. She had a “tall pile of books” and enjoyed poetry and literature by Mary Oliver, May Sarton, and August Wilson.
Donna was an avid bicyclist. She would take her bike through the Forest Preserves of Cook County and by many stores in the Chicagoland area. Donna even participated in a bike ride from Chicago to Minneapolis to raise money for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Fran and Donna married each other 12 years ago, not long after the state of Illinois legalized same-sex marriage.
One of Donna’s nephews recalled how she came of age in the 1960s as a gay woman, but did not wait for permission to live her life. She built a “life of authenticity” before it was socially acceptable.
In the 1990s, Donna worked in business and helped recruit people for jobs. She saw this as a way of opening doors for others.
Another nephew described Donna as a “role model,” who taught him the “importance of questioning the norm and being resilient.” Even in the toughest moments, she would plow ahead and keep sipping vodka and tending to her garden.
Donna lived in Elmwood Park for 20 years, but Kevin’s introduction to Donna was at a library board meeting on March 10, 2025. She delivered a fiery public comment after organizing a library candidate forum in February that was sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Oak Park and River Forest.
“It’s deeply disappointing to me to stand here and address the absence of every one of the incumbents from this important forum,” Donna declared. “This event was designed to provide a platform for open dialogue, transparency, and accountability—values that are fundamental to our democracy.”
“By choosing not to attend, you have not only disrespected this process but also the very voters that you claim to represent. Your absence sends a clear message. Either you are unwilling to defend your record, or you take the support of your constituents for granted,” she added.
Donna congratulated the Elmwood Park Advocate after we held our first “Community Conversation” in June. “I commend you for making this happen,” she said, and said it would be “a feather” in our cap if we were able to build a reliable local news source.
Sara remembers how Donna consistently applauded our effort and persistence and offered guidance when we needed it. In fact, she told us in August that the “journalistic integrity of the newsletter” was excellent.
When the library first tried to force the newsletter to pay a meeting room fee, Donna shared her perspective that the library director and library board trustees might be more afraid of the newsletter than the “Community Conversations.”
Donna praised our commitment to fighting for the rights of residents to have free access to meeting rooms because she was personally concerned that the library might at any point end its partnership with the Garden Club.
In November, Donna once again stood before the library board and raised her voice. She specifically focused on a proposal from Library Board President Chris Pesko that would have potentially created a financial barrier for a number of residents.
The proposal said only organizations that could “provide proof of their formal organization as a non-profit entity” may use library meeting rooms for free. Any informal club, support group, or community organization without 501c status would be charged $100 for meeting room use.
“The way you have this policy worded is very shortsighted,” Donna stated. “That means the Garden Club, which runs on a very tight budget, would have to take $1200 out of their budget in order to meet in the library. Or $1000 because we don’t meet two months out of the year. That really takes a chunk out of the budget that was created by [Village President] Peter Silvestri years ago—and to my knowledge has always met in this room.”
Donna’s voice undoubtedly helped us persuade the library board to temporarily suspend the meeting room fee and spend some extra time considering what other libraries in the area charge their residents before adopting a shortsighted policy.
Coincidentally, library board trustees will vote on changes to the meeting room policy on January 12 at 4 p.m and 5 p.m.
The Elmwood Park Advocate will honor Donna’s spirit of questioning the norm and being resilient by insisting that the library continue to keep meeting rooms free and accessible to everyone who lives in Elmwood Park.
We also dedicate the next year of journalism, including “Community Conversations,” to Donna.
Beautifully written tribute to an impressive person.
Peace be with Donna.☮️