STEPHEN J. BIGOLIN

Stephen John Bigolin of DeKalb passed away peacefully at DeKalb County Rehab & Nursing Center in the early morning of March 12, 2026.

Steve was born Thursday, September 22, 1949 in Oak Park, Illinois, to John J. and Mary C. (Fortunato) Bigolin. He was their only child. 

Steve grew up on the northwest side of Chicago, graduating from Frederick Funston Public School in 1963. His family moved to Wonder Lake, Illinois, in June of 1963, and he then attended McHenry Community High School from 1963-1967. After graduation, he relocated to his adopted hometown of DeKalb, attending Northern Illinois University. Steve earned a B.S. Ed degree in History in 1971 and an M.S. Ed degree in Secondary Education in 1975.

For over 50 years, Steve fondly said “My life revolves around all things historical.” He belonged to many historical groups in DeKalb, Sycamore, and greater DeKalb County. He served on the DeKalb County Sesquicentennial Committee, the city of DeKalb Sesquicentennial Committee, city of Sycamore Sesquicentennial Committee, and the NIU Centennial Committee. Steve also served a three-year term on the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council, a State of Illinois Review Board, and was its Vice Chairman in his final year on the Council.

Over the years, Steve became very well-known locally for his hundreds of wonderful articles dealing with the history of DeKalb, Sycamore, and DeKalb County, which appeared in The DeKalb Daily Chronicle, the Sycamore True Republican,and Cornsilk magazine as well as various barbed wire newsletters. He even published A Journey Through DeKalb County, a three-volume series reprinting many of these essays, he authored the book Landmarks of the Barb City, and with Nancy Beasley, he edited Sycamore: A Walk Through History.

Steve gave numerous lectures for many local organizations on local history topics, most recently for Barb City Manor. Steve was interviewed in 1998 along with others from local history groups for the video documentary Barbed Wire Pioneers, Inventing a Community. The 2008 DVD Historic Homes of DeKalb County was based on his writings. In addition, he served as project historian for the DeKalb Community Mural, and he contributed to Acres of Change: A History of DeKalb County Illinois, 1963-2012. 

Locally, he may be most fondly remembered for his insightful and entertaining walking tours of both DeKalb and Sycamore. Many summer Sundays, he could be seen on the historic streets, leading groups large and small past the houses he loved best and knew so much about. He was definitely in his element working with the Sycamore History Museum, then the DeKalb County History Center, on the annual Pumpkin Festival HistoricHomes Tour, serving from 2012-2023.

Among Steve’s many awards and citations were the 1990 Ellwood House Association Exceptional Achievement Award, the 1992 Kishwaukee College Part-Time Instructor Award of Excellence, the Altrusa Club Cultural Award for 1997, the 2000 Ellwood House Association Special Achievement Award, an Illinois Historic Preservation Agency Award of Merit, and a WDKB radio Hometown Hero Award. In 2025, the local Boy Scouts honored him with a Hometown Hero award, of which he was immensely proud. As a crowning to his career, in 2024, Mayor Cohen Barnes of DeKalb declared September 22 officially Steve Bigolin Day.

Steve was preceded in death by his parents, John & Mary Bigolin, his grandparents Silvio & Corina Bigolin and Leonard & Camilla Fortunato.

He is survived by several cousins of the Bigolin and Fortunato families as well as countless friends and colleagues throughout Illinois.

The County of DeKalb and especially the cities of DeKalb and Sycamore owe Steve a huge debt of gratitude for preserving our history and promoting the organizations responsible for celebrating it.

A visitation will be held on Friday March 27, 2026 from 1pm until time of service 2pm at Anderson Funeral Home in DeKalb. Interment will follow at Oakwood Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers memorials can be made to Anderson Funeral Home, 2011 S 4th St, PO Box 605, DeKalb, IL 60115 or by calling 815-756-1022 .

For information, visit www.AndersonFuneralHomeLtd.com or call 815-756-1022.

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