Joseph Scully, former board member and longtime champion of the Oak Park Regional Housing Center, passed away on Oct. 15. During his time as an executive with St. Paul Federal Savings Bank, “St. Paul was the first financial institution to support our center in the early 1970s, and that’s because of Joe,” said Roberta “Bobbie” Raymond, founder of the Oak Park Housing Center. “He saw the unfair practices within the housing market and understood that we needed to do something dramatic — and fast.” (Source: Chicago Tribune)

He jumped right in and helped promote the objectives of the Housing Center. He participated in the Exchange Congress, and supported all of the Housing Center’s events, including supporting seminars for real estate agents to convince them that they could market a diverse community, and assisting with the house and architectural tours of the Oak Park and Austin neighborhood.

When he became president and CEO of St. Paul Federal, he brought his values and passion for our work with him. Joe continued his support of the Housing Center and other local organizations focused on equality and equity. He held leadership positions with numerous community organizations, including the Housing Center.

To honor Joe and his work, we have created the Scully Fund for Inclusion. Please show your support of Joe’s ideals with a contribution to the fund so we can continue working toward a more inclusive and equitable community, and share your thoughts and memories of Joe in the comments here.