In Memory of Roger Bardwell
An Ordinary Man With an Extraordinary Heart
Roger Bardwell’s full and fruitful life as an educator and long time neighbor culminated here on September 17, 1994, with an act of heroism that saved the life of a child.
(This is one of my favorite plaques ever, anywhere. It says a lot, yet leaves so much unsaid. How exactly did this gentleman's life "culminate" at this spot? And what was the act of heroism? As might be expected, the incident was in the news. Here's how the Chicago Tribune began its feature on Bardwell's death:
The steamroller that would turn 69-year-old Roger Bardwell into a hero and then take his life Saturday had been sitting unattended that evening, serving as a makeshift jungle gym beside a south Evanston park.
Two 9-year-old girls from the neighborhood were perched atop it when two younger boys also started to climb on.
Bridgette Battaglia said that as she and her friend climbed down, she noticed the boys eyeing a big black button on the control panel.
"I said, 'Don't press the button because something might happen,' " Bridgette recalled Sunday." )