Former Chicago cop, alderman and Cook County commissioner William “Bill” Beavers, the self-proclaimed “hog with the big nuts,” died Saturday morning of natural complications, his spokesperson said. He was 89.
“Today is a difficult day for the Beavers family and for many of us who respected and cherished Commissioner Beavers’ friendship and loyalty,” said family spokesperson Sean Howard in a statement Sunday. “Bill Beavers will go down in history as one of the most progressive African American Alderman in the Chicago City Council. He was unapologetically Black and proved so by his countless efforts to propel Black businesspersons to engage in city business and contracts.”
Beavers leaves behind a complicated but unapologetic legacy; in 2013 after he was sentenced to six months in prison on tax evasion charges, he stood in the lobby of the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, smiled at reporters and, with a characteristic sprinkle of sharp wit, insisted life was good.
Born and raised in the city’s Kenwood and Oakland neighborhoods, Beavers was one of six children to his mother, who Howard called a “well-respected woman” and “adoring housewife” with cooking skills that made her popular in their local church. Beavers’ father was a steel mill worker who died on the job.
After attending Harold Washington College, he served as a Chicago Police Officer for over two decades until he retired and was elected in 1983 as the alderman of the 7th Ward, a position he held until 2006. He was elected as Cook County Commissioner for the 4th District, including parts of Chicago’s South Side and southern suburbs.
During his time as an alderman, Beavers was appointed chairman of the Police and Fire Committee and later the Budget Committee. Howard said one of Beavers’ biggest accomplishments was the creation of subcircuit judicial districts that allowed Black lawyers to run for judgeships on the city’s South Side, West Side and southern suburbs of the county.
For the last 20 years, Howard ate breakfast daily with Beavers and a few other political figures.
“These breakfast sessions were classic in that so much knowledge, humor and wisdom came from these remarkable men,” he recalled. “Commissioner Beavers always reminded us of the importance of keeping your word, standing firm in your beliefs, and knowing that government belongs to the people and not ourselves.”
Beavers is survived by two daughters and a son: Denice Ewing; Darcel Beavers, former 7th Ward Alderwoman; and David Beavers, a former investigator with the Cook County States Attorney’s office. He also leaves his grandson DeJuan Brown and his great-granddaughter Dylan Brown.