Family members and former colleagues are remembering retired Fire Chief Mike Beatty as a dedicated public servant whose nearly 30-year career helped shape the Lake Forest Fire Department during a period of significant growth and change.
Beatty, 75, died May 24 of pancreatic cancer, according to his son, Zach.
“He enjoyed helping people and being able to be there on their worst days and make things a little more tenable,” Zach Beatty said.
The son of a U.S. Navy serviceman, Beatty was born in Guam but spent most of his childhood in Florida and North Carolina.
Following high school, Beatty himself enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he became a Fire Controlman and served deployments to Vietnam and the Middle East.
Beatty was later assigned to what is now Naval Station Great Lakes. After six years in the military, he purchased a home in Lake Forest and began looking for a new job. During that search in 1975, he noticed a “help wanted” sign at the public safety building on Deerpath Road, as the city was seeking firefighters.
He was intrigued by the opportunity to build on his previous experience while pursuing a career centered on helping people.
“The last few years in the Navy I worked with computers and machines and now I wanted to work with people,” Zach Beatty recalled his father saying.
Beatty was hired and steadily rose through the ranks, eventually being named deputy chief in 1991. Roughly five years later, upon the retirement of Robert Wilkins Jr., he was promoted to fire chief.
“He was fire service through and through,” recalled former City Manager Bob Kiely. “When he talked, he was serious about the profession, but he was also very approachable.”
Beatty led the department during a period of significant change as the Conway Park office complex on the city’s west side was being developed. Kiely said Beatty advocated for acquiring equipment he believed was necessary to meet the area’s unique challenges.
“The equipment and the apparatus we needed to respond to fires at Conway were very different than residential fires on the east side,” Kiely said.
Zach Beatty said his father often spoke highly of the firefighters he worked alongside in Lake Forest.
“He enjoyed being part of the team and accomplishing the work together,” he said.
Although Mike Beatty never encouraged his son to follow the same path, Zach Beatty ultimately did, first serving in the military and later entering the fire service. Today, he serves as lieutenant in Glenview Fire Department.
The two frequently discussed incidents Zach Beatty encountered throughout his career.
“He would always have advice and tidbits,” Zach Beatty said.
Away from work, Mike Beatty was an avid bird enthusiast who kept more than 20 exotic birds at his home. He was also active with local Scout troops alongside his sons, the local American Legion post and Lake Forest’s St. James Lutheran Church. He also enjoyed spending time outdoors, and Zach Beatty said many of his favorite memories involve fishing trips with his father.
Beatty retired in 2004 and moved with his wife, Diane, to Stockton, IL where the couple had two horses on their farm. He continued to maintain ties to Lake Forest, however, serving on the city’s Firefighter Pension Board.
“He always had a positive outlook on things,” Zach Beatty said. “He was known for showing up with a smile on his face and believing that any challenge could be accomplished if people worked together and got the job done.”
Survivors include his wife, Diane; sons Zach and Jacob; and granddaughter Maya.
In keeping with Beatty’s wishes, no funeral or memorial service is planned, according to his son.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
