James LaBelle, a Waukegan native who served 20 years on the Lake County Board and survived 36 years after a blood cancer diagnosis, died Dec. 3 at the age of 73.
A Northern Illinois University graduate, James LaBelle was elected three times as chairman of the board, served as president of the Lake County Forest Preserves, and was appointed as the first general manager of North Point Marina in Winthrop Harbor, among other positions.
The LaBelle family remembered his personal wisdom, good-natured attitude and years of public service while facing decades of health challenges.
LaBelle was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, in 1988. He was given a few years to live, but months of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant on Thanksgiving day 1990 saved his life, his family said.
Jeff LaBelle, one of his five sons, said the treatment was draining for his father, both “physically and emotionally.”
Despite his health issues, Jan LaBelle, his wife of over 50 years, said he was always “easy to be with.”
“No matter how difficult things were, he just didn’t carry that through each day. We were able to live as normally as we could, and it was joyous, even when it was hard,” she said.
Jeff LaBelle reflected on what he took from his father’s life and career. It was an easier task for their family than others; James LaBelle had written a book some years ago about his life and the lessons he wanted to impart to his children. He would often share words of wisdom in day-to-day life, his wife said.
“Thankfulness, living and learning to appreciate and be thankful for every day you have,” Jeff LaBelle said. “Look for beauty in the world, things to appreciate. If you fill your mind with enough beautiful things, there’s just less room for things that upset you.”
James LaBelle had recently developed a cancer on his tongue, and the prognosis was once again dire. His son recalled a conversation they shared at the hospital. His father had asked if the family was upset.
“Of course we’re upset, but what I told him was, ‘How can we be disappointed. We got 36 years, when we thought we wouldn’t get a couple more,’” Jeff LaBelle said. “I think he liked that answer.”
The family still lives close by, Jeff LaBelle said, and they’ve come together since his death. He expressed gratitude for the time they got.
“My family, we didn’t expect him to survive more than a couple of years. That was the prognosis he got,” Jeff LaBelle said. “It ended up being 36 years.”
Jan LaBelle had a similar sentiment.
“What I end up thinking about is how thankful I am, we celebrated our 52nd wedding anniversary last summer. There were so many times throughout our life that I just couldn’t think, couldn’t begin to hope that we would be together this long.”