Suburban Bank and Trust co-founder Dan Bash remembered for bridge passion

ELMHURST – Daniel Bash helped found Suburban Bank and Trust in Elmhurst nearly 40 years ago, but friends and family nicknamed him for another one of his passions.

"Everybody knew him as the bridge guy," said Blanche Hill, SBT CEO and board chairman.

Dan Bash died Sept. 1 at 84 years old after he and his wife Maxine moved to Vancouver, Wash. in 2006 to be closer to their three grandchildren Alex, Tom and Kerrie.

Bash raised his two sons, John and Tom – who was killed when he was hit by a car in high school – in Elmhurst where his wife Maxine taught in District 205. They stayed in Elmhurst until Dan Bash's health started to fail.

During his life in Elmhurst, Dan Bash worked as vice president at Sunbeam Appliance Company for 32 years, a job that required him to travel on business often.

"All the while he was working, he hated to go on vacations," said Hill who took over as SBT CEO and Chairman after her husband David B. Hill, Jr., who founded the bank with Dan Bash, died in 2002.

He founded SBT while working at Sunbeam, and Hill recalled he would return early from vacations if possible because he disliked traveling so much.

After 10 years as SBT CEO and president, the duplicated bridge player retired and discovered a newfound love for travel.

"Then after he retired he learned to cruise," Hill said.

He and Maxine Bash would book Crystal Cruises with Dan's bridge club members. He would play on the ship, while Maxine enjoyed all of the other activities. The couple traveled the world together making new friends during each cruise.

Dan Bash ran one of the largest duplicated bridge clubs in the Chicago area and served as president of the Chicago Contract Bridge Association for two four-year terms.

Also an avid reader and movie buff, Dan Bash collected a large library of books and films.

When he and his partners, several local businessmen including Blanche Hill's late husband, opened the first SBT location in Elmhurst on March 18, 1976, they had only a trailer. Today, the Elmhurst headquarters building is still in the same location at 150 East Butterfield Road, one of eleven locations.