Tinley Park remembers Patrick Rea, veteran, trustee and friend

Rea died of natural causes on July 27. He was 84.

“Pat was a leader, a mentor, a great storyteller and, most of all, a great friend with a wonderful sense of humor,” former Tinley Park Mayor Ed Zabrocki said in a statement. Zabrocki worked with Rea throughout his career. “He will be remembered as a selfless public servant who always put his community first and did everything with integrity and an old-school sense of honor.”

Rea, a native of Tinley Park, was educated in Community Consolidated School District 146 and graduated from Central and Bremen high schools. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and business, and Master of Science degrees in economics, history and political science. He also received a Master of Science degree in military police and international relations from the Army War College in Pennsylvania.

Rea was commissioned as an ROTC officer at the University of Illinois in 1963 and deployed to Vietnam, where he served as deputy division commander and acting commander of the Army’s 85th Division, commanding at every level from platoon to brigade throughout his 30 years of military service. Having served in the United States, Asia and Europe, Rea was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service in 2004.

Rea began his corporate and government career in the late 1960s, becoming a Tinley Park commissioner in 1968 while serving in the active and reserve armed forces. He was appointed a village trustee in 1971, becoming one of the youngest members of the Village Board in its 79-year history. He was re-elected to 10 consecutive terms as a trustee and then appointed village clerk in 2009, a position he held until leaving in 2017.

He was also Grand Master of the International Knights Templar.

“Pat loved Tinley Park with all his might,” Tinley Park Mayor Michael Glotz said in a statement. “The well-being of our town and its residents was never far from his thoughts, and that was evident in the passion with which he served the people of Tinley Park throughout his nearly 50-year career. His guidance and leadership will be greatly missed.”

Rea’s leadership helped the village maintain economic diversity and a strong fiscal position during the fastest-growing period in its history.

“General Rea leaves behind a distinguished career of professional achievement and dedicated public service, including his many years of service to our country in the Armed Forces,” Village Administrator Pat Carr, an Air Force veteran, said in a statement. “Pat was always a strong advocate for veterans, and it was his hard work that helped establish the Village Veterans Commission in 1974.”

Most recently, Rea served as chairman of the Tinley Park Sister Cities Commission, part of a national initiative to exchange ideas, develop business links and build friendships with communities around the world. During the 1980s and 1990s, he was instrumental in establishing links with Tinley Park’s sister cities: Mallow, Ireland; Nowy Sacz, Poland; and Budingen, Germany, where he maintained lifelong friendships with leaders and royalty.

“His travels took him all over the world, bringing Tinley Park international recognition,” former Mayor Dave Seaman, who also served for decades as Rea’s trustee, said in a statement. “He was a truly cosmopolitan man who loved making new friends and forging lasting relationships. He will be greatly missed by all.”

Rea’s legacy lives on at the Patrick E. Rea Veterans Plaza, adjacent to the south entrance of the 80th Avenue Metra train station, which is named in his honor and celebrates each branch of the military.