This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

And the Winner Is...

Sally Kinnamon was delighted to learn about the life experiences of Bob Johnson, fellow-resident of The Clare.  The senior living community in Chicago’s Gold Coast boasts a veritable treasure trove of amazing residents with fascinating life stories. Kinnamon wrote about Johnson for The Clarion, the newsletter of The Clare.  The story is as follows:

The Chicago Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, responsible for the Emmy Awards, used the services of an independent accounting firm for balloting services.  Until that time, they had done their own tallying of the ballots, but decided that an independent firm should take over the work.  Several companies presented proposal for megabucks: Arthur Young proposed they do it for free.  The choice was simple, and Arthur Young received the auspicious role. 

In charge of the initiative was Bob Johnson, who for 14 years, until the time of his retirement, oversaw the sophisticated, secret voting process.  For each of those years, Bob was the only one who knew until the last possible minute, who the winners were.

Find out what's happening in Hinsdale-Clarendon Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“It was fun hearing the critics predict who would win, knowing I was the one with the real answers,” he said. “I would know three or four weeks ahead of time.  The media would be trying to pick the winners and would be writing about the outcomes in the paper. It was interesting to see them talking about who they thought the winners would be, while I knew the whole time.”

And of course it was fun to dress up in a tux and walk on stage with the long-awaited envelopes.  He had the chance to rub elbows and mingle with the winners (and losers) at the big dinner and reception following the show.  “It was a long way from a ‘day at the office,’” said Johnson.  “It’s sort of relaxing and a fun thing to do.”

Find out what's happening in Hinsdale-Clarendon Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Clare at Rush and Pearson is a Life Care retirement community in the heart of Chicago’s Gold Coast with incomparable lifestyle, amenities and the financial stability only a debt-free community can offer.  The Terraces at The Clare, which partners with Northwestern Memorial Hospital, provides assisted living, memory support, rehabilitation and skilled nursing. The Terraces has earned the 5-star quality rating by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.  The Clare is owned by Chicago Senior Care and managed by Life Care Services.  For more information visit: www.TheClare.com or call 312-784-8100.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills