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Park Ridge Mayor David Schmidt Dies Of Sudden Illness

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A suburban mayor who set new standards for staying busy died Wednesday night, two years into his second term in office.

Park Ridge Mayor David Schmidt was first elected in 2009, and was re-elected in 2013. Park Ridge village manager Shawn Hamilton said Schmidt was stricken suddenly at home Wednesday night, and taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, where he died.

"Please join the Elected Officials and City Staff in keeping Mayor Schmidt's family in your thoughts and prayers," the city said in a post on its Facebook page.

In addition to his duties as mayor, Schmidt also represented Park Ridge on the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission, working to protect residents from noise pollution after Chicago city officials began expanding nearby O'Hare International Airport.

"He was very concerned about the citizens of Park Ridge, who were affected when they reconfigured the runways, and how the impact on their everyday lives was," Park Ridge Ald. Joseph Sweeney said.

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Hamilton said Schmidt was regularly "bringing groups in, bringing Cub Scouts in, Girl Scouts in, those groups in to learn about what it takes to be a mayor, and learn about running the city. He was always having groups in."

Sweeney said Schmidt maintained a hectic schedule.

"He was involved with fundraising for the [Park Ridge] Fine Arts Society. He was involved with the [Park Ridge] Youth Commission. He basically wanted this to be the place that every family wanted to come and live," he said.

A 1990 graduate of Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, he founded the law firm Chittenden, Murday & Novotny in 2003. He also was a Cub Scout den leader, a Little League coach, and a church choir member.

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