Late Sycamore board member, community leader honored with scholarship

SYCAMORE – The DeKalb County Community Foundation has created the Dombek Family Community Service Scholarship Fund, benefiting graduating seniors from Sycamore High School.

The scholarship is meant to serve as a lasting tribute to the late Jim Dombek, a longtime Sycamore School District 427 school board president and volunteer, according to a news release. Dombek was known for his lifelong commitment to education, youth and community service.

“Sycamore High School runs through the veins of the Dombek family,” Kathy Dombek said in a news release. “Jim was deeply committed to community service and believed in instilling that value at a young age. The scholarship criteria reflects that commitment—it’s not about GPA, but about integrity, honesty, character, and service to the community.”

Born in Yonkers, New York, Dombek dedicated his life to family, faith and service. He was an active volunteer in numerous DeKalb County community groups and nonprofit organizations, including a long tenure as a board member Sycamore schools. He also served as an ordained permanent deacon in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford.

Dombek was a proud graduate of Sycamore High School. He pursued higher education at Northern Illinois University, earned a law doctorate from Chicago-Kent College of Law, and later obtained a master’s degree in theology from Loras College in Dubuque. His professional career spanned more than 40 years in the legal field, beginning in family law with Kyle Haskins in Wheaton, Robert Jenkins in Sycamore, American Family Insurance, and UAW-Chrysler Legal Services before transitioning into Trusts in the field of banking. He joined NB&T in 2001 as Vice President and Personal Trust Manager and, in 2016 became the Director of Trust, Investments, as well as Legal Counsel at Resource Bank.

Dombek met his wife, Kathy, at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, according to the release. They bonded over their shared academic excellence as members of the National Honor Society. They later married and built a life in Sycamore, raising three children, all proud graduates of Sycamore High School.

On Aug. 12, 2024, Dombek died peacefully, leaving behind a legacy of kindness, wisdom and unwavering integrity, according to the community foundation.

To honor his memory, the Dombek family established the Dombek Family Community Service Scholarship Fund. This scholarship supports Sycamore High School seniors who have demonstrated a strong commitment to community service, both in and out of school.

”This new endowed Scholarship Fund is very meaningful to the Sycamore community, and we are honored to manage it on behalf of Jim’s legacy and the family’s continued generosity and community service,” Foundation Executive Director Dan Templin said.

Donations to the Dombek Family Community Service Scholarship Fund can be made online at dekalbccf.org or by mail to DeKalb County Community Foundation, 475 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore. For more information, contact Dan Templin at 815-748-5383 or dan@dekalbccf.org.