Longtime Elgin activist Danise Habun dead at age 68

Chicago Tribune

2 days ago

Longtime Elgin community activist Danise Habun, 68, died unexpectedly over the weekend, friends said.
'She was my 'shero,' a staunch advocate for social justice,' longtime friend Carroll Ann Bailey said. 'Danise and I got into as much good trouble as possible. … The many organizations and events she advocated for and attended will be missing a part of their heart.'
Bailey said Habun had been receiving chemotherapy cancer treatments for the last two years. The two were to go to a Kiwanis event Saturday but when she couldn't reach her, she asked asked the police department to do a check, she said. Officers found her deceased, she said.
'I hope we find a good home for her big dog Barkley, and I pray that we all tell our friends and loved ones that we love them daily,' Bailey said.
State Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin, said Habun fiercely loved Elgin. She recalled meeting Habun when Castro was a first-time candidate for the Kane County Board.
'Danise was a firecracker, but had a warm and generous spirit,' Castro said. 'She was very involved with many local nonprofit organizations like Open Door and YWCA, to name but two. She loved giving back to our community and she will be deeply missed.'
Gretchen Vapnar, former executive director of the Community Crisis Center, said Habun once worked there as a legal advocate.
'When a victim had Danise by her side in court, she could be assured of a clear, strong and unstoppable voice,' Vapnar said.
It was difficult for Habun to abide ignorance or understand the reluctance to speak up, she said, but she was always understanding and kind.
'She was determined to find and speak the truth. To be her friend was to be challenged and to be appreciated,' Vapnar said. 'Danise was a fighter who always took on the biggest challenges — racism, human rights, even the most difficult dog, Barkley.'
Elgin City Councilwoman Tish Powell said there are few people who have been as dedicated to Elgin as Habun. She demonstrated her love through her service to the community, serving on numerous local nonprofit and city-related boards over the past several decades, Powell said.
'She was a bold and fierce advocate for those in our community whose voices aren't always heard,' she said. 'You never had to guess what Danise was thinking, where she stood on an issue, or even if she liked you. That was one of the many qualities that I respected and appreciated about her.'
Habun wasn't afraid to speak her mind, even if it meant ruffling feathers, she added.
'But Danise was not just about talk, she was a true leader who took action,' Powell said. 'She selflessly committed her time, energy and talents to the many causes that she supported in our community.'
Those included the YWCA, Open Door Clinic, Elgin Community Task Force on Policing, Elgin's annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast and Food Drive, Elgin Pride, African-American Coalition of Kane County, Elgin's Human Relations Commission and many others, Powell said.
'Danise was committed to ensuring racial justice, equity, fairness and inclusion in our community,' she said. 'Her passing is an immense loss of leadership, institutional knowledge and advocacy in our community. But for me personally, I've lost someone that I loved and have counted as a dear friend for many years.'
As of Sunday afternoon, funeral arrangements were pending, friends said.