Needing to replace my passport final summer time, I headed for the Kane County Clerk’s Satellite tv for pc Workplace in downtown Aurora. I hoped to get assist in navigating the method from somebody working in that workplace.
I used to be fortunate sufficient to satisfy Rene Romero, who’s accountable in that workplace for passports and for redeeming taxes—accepting cost for present and late taxes. He patiently answered all of my questions, and helped me with assembling my photographs and paperwork. He impressed me as a caring public servant.
We struck up a dialog, and I found that Rene was an Military veteran of the Vietnam period. He additionally appeared proud to inform me that he was 84 years previous, was completely satisfied in his job with Kane County and had no intention of retiring any time quickly.
“It motivates me, and I really feel that the neighborhood wants the assistance,” he stated. “They want somebody who received’t ignore them, and I’m there to assist those who can’t assist themselves.”
On a return go to, I found that Rene’s beautiful spouse, Mary, additionally works within the workplace because the important data clerk. They agreed to satisfy with me in order that I may be taught extra about their careers of service.
In his present position, Rene views himself as extra than simply the passport and tax individual.
“I’ve to take my time with every individual to assist them perceive the method, a few of these from the Hispanic neighborhood,” he stated. “The folks rely upon me, and it’s time consuming. I don’t need them to assume they’re being cheated in any means.
“And it’s the identical with passports. There are a lot of choices within the purposes that should be defined.”
Mary and Rene have labored on the Aurora Satellite tv for pc Workplace because it opened virtually seven years in the past, and so they had been the one employees in that workplace to start out. Beforehand of their retirement, that they had labored on the now defunct Aurora Election Fee, and that led to their being recruited to employees the brand new Kane County Clerk’s Satellite tv for pc Workplace.
Inquisitive about his life earlier than public service, I discovered that Rene was born in Texas, and would come to the Midwest within the summers to do discipline work. As a younger grownup, he lived within the Chicago space, however returned to Texas and enlisted within the Military in 1963 because the Vietnam battle was starting. He volunteered within the Military Airborne as a paratrooper, and recalled the extraordinary coaching he skilled.
His unit waited for deployment to Vietnam, however that order didn’t come and he was discharged from the Military in 1965. From St. Louis he then moved again to the Chicago space to work.
He recalled that he confronted discrimination, and in addition harassment from immigration officers, solely due to his Hispanic title. He persevered and met his spouse throughout that point. They had been married in West Chicago in 1967.
Rene ultimately labored for a few years as a listing management supervisor in a multinational company, and traveled all through the US and Canada in that job earlier than retiring in 2004. Not wanting to take a seat round, a number of retirement jobs adopted earlier than the Kane County Clerk’s Satellite tv for pc Workplace opened in Aurora in 2018.
As we ended our go to, the dialog once more returned to their service to Kane County residents. They appear to very a lot take pleasure in serving to folks to the perfect of their skills.
“I don’t want folks to name me ‘Sir.’ They’re my clients, and I care about their wants,” Rene stated. “And Jack (Cunningham, Kane County clerk) is an effective individual. We serve folks no matter something. Our aim is to ensure to serve everybody.”
“Rene loves to speak to folks, irrespective of who they’re,” added Mary. “I’ve at all times been fairly shy, and am now breaking out of my shell later in life. Rene can speak to a wall and make it speak again to him!”
I generally conclude a dialog by asking somebody the query “what makes you tick?”
“My household,” Rene answered instantly.
The Romeros have three kids, six grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.
“I would like my youngsters to be proud,” he stated. “And my reminiscence of my dad at all times saying ‘respect others as you respect your self.’”
Tom Robust is a contract reporter for The Beacon-Information.
