Judy Baar Topinka

Judy Baar Topinka Charitable Foundation

News & Events

Judy Baar Topinka | An Incredible Political Leader

Judy Baar Topinka was an incredible political leader; a very committed Czech/Slovak American; and also a committed Slavic leader who supported many different communities of Central and Eastern European heritages. Judy’s life was about bringing people together from all different backgrounds to make her home State of Illinois a strong and diverse place. Judy’s passing twelve years ago was abrupt and unexpected. Many miss her sense of humor and her sense of history. Many simply miss her simple yet honest style of leadership.

The link https://youtu.be/KYyTJmjyCQY contains a 2002 interview by Lucyana Migala with Judy on WCEV, a radio station that used to broadcast from Cicero, Illinois. Judy addresses the effort to build a statue of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk in Washington, D.C. Masaryk was the first president of Czechoslovakia after the end of World War I.  More information about the statue and Masaryk are at https://monumentalhistory.wordpress.com/2016/09/28/tomas-garrigue-masaryk/. Judy also speaks about the pride she had in her heritage and how being Slavic could often be an impediment for success in the United States. For Judy, ethnicity was an important aspect of everyone’s lives especially as citizens of the United States of America. One’s ethnic background was not an impediment, but a source of strength and solidarity with others.

Thank you Judy for loving your Slavic background! Thank you also for your support of memorializing President Masaryk in the United States! Our hope is that someday Judy’s home State of Illinois will recognize her in a similar manner. Like Masaryk, Judy certainly earned the honor.

Happy Judy Day! 

Happy Judy Day! Today, January 16, Judy Baar Topinka would have been 80 years old.  We lost her too soon. 

We miss her honesty, hardwork, her love of her state, and her love of animals!

judy baar topinka with elephant at zoo

Celebrate “Judy Day 2024” By Donating Pet Food or Time To Your Favorite Animal Shelter

Tuesday, January 16, 2024, would have been Judy Baar Topinka’s 80th birthday.

To honor Judy’s legacy and commitment to saving shelter dogs and cats…the Judy Baar Topinka Foundation encourages you to donate a can of pet food (or other needed wish list item) to your favorite local animal shelter or rescue group.

Please consider adopting a pet, or volunteering your time, to an animal shelter, if you are in a position to do so.

Judy believed EVERYBODY can make a difference.

Animals were very near and dear to Judy’s heart. While she was the Illinois State Comptroller, Judy Baar Topinka, spearheaded “Comptroller’s Critters”, a groundbreaking program connecting Illinois no-kill animal shelters, rescue groups, and pet-lovers, to reduce the number of cats and dogs roaming the streets, and connect them with loving fur-ever families. This unique pet-saving program received national attention in the “Litty Kitter the Cat” theatre for young audiences stage play and best-selling children’s books.

Judy Baar Topinka is remembered by many as a trailblazing female public servant who paved the way for young girls who dreamed of becoming elected officials. The uniquely open-minded leader smashed gender stereotypes and served the people of the State of Illinois in the roles of senator, representative, treasurer and comptroller.

Judy Baar Topinka was flexible, never caved in to political party demands, diligently served ALL people regardless of party affiliation, and worked together on both sides of the aisle to create common sense solutions to complicated issues.

As a public servant, she was truly one-of-a-kind, a champion of human rights and animal rights.

Judy Baar Topinka – left us entirely too soon – although she left behind a treasure trove of positive accomplishments for humankind and animalkind, countless memories, and unpublished manuscripts – her physical presence is deeply missed by her family, friends and constituents.

Grave Secrets by Judy Baar Topinka

grave secrets by judy baar topinka
Get Your Copy on Amazon

Illinois cemeteries are aesthetically pleasing, architecturally stunning, wondrous, vibrant nature preserves, overflowing with rich history, and brimming with “secrets”, including the final resting places of many “famous” people. Movie stars, authors, sports figures, television icons, radio personalities, politicians, scientists, singers, comedians and business moguls may all seem larger than life…but when all is said and done…everyone is equal in the graveyard. The book in your hands explores those graveyards.

Always thinking outside the box, Judy Baar Topinka took a creative approach by structuring this book as a “Guess the Celebrity” trivia book. This book has been posthumously published exactly as it was found in Judy’s estate.

While this is not a definitive list of EVERY famous person buried in Illinois…it is a brilliantly creative starting point…and provides a springboard for the reader to engage in their own research as well.

When visiting cemeteries as a celebrity death enthusiast, paranormal explorer, curious traveler, or historical researcher…please remember these are sacred grounds, leave everything exactly as you found it, and always be respectful of the property, posted rules, active funeral processions, committal services, and other visitors who may be mourning.

YOU are now officially an Illinois Cemetery Sleuth. Put on your detective coat and try your luck at uncovering “Grave Secrets”.

Announcing the CAHME 2023 Award and Scholarship

The Judy Baar Topinka Foundation is so proud of this year’s CAHME/Judy Baar Topinka Foundation Scholarship.  The scholarship is designed to help graduate students as they face the ever increasing costs of being a student especially during residencies where often they are unpaid.  The Judy Baar Topinka Foundation would like to offer more types of these scholarship in Judy’s name.  Consider a donation to help our future healthcare leaders.

CAHME Communications

Registration is open for the 2023 CAHME Award Ceremony at ACHE Congress on Sunday, March 19, 2023. Purchase tickets here before the early bird deadline on February 15. For questions, contact Dana Alexander, MHA, CAHME Communications and Engagement at dalexander@cahme.org. 

Along with generous corporate partners, foundations, board, and personal donations, CAHME takes great pride in recognizing through our CAHME Awards program those programs and their students that have distinguished themselves. 

This year’s recipients will be honored during the CAHME Award Ceremony at ACHE Congress on Sunday, March 19, 2023, and are acknowledged in the January 17, 2023 edition of Modern Healthcare. 

  • The CAHME/Fawn Lopez Future Leaders Award recipient is Lilian Abbo, MD, MBA Candidate at the University of Miami. Dr. Abbo is a patient advocate, health system leader and frontline disease expert managing infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship through a complex ecosystem in Miami, Florida. 

Visit cahme.org/awards to learn more.

Leadership and commitment to the common good is flourishing through CAHME’s Accredited programs and their students. Congratulations to these exceptional programs and students who are advancing the quality of healthcare management education. 

More great, virtual gifts to celebrate “JUDY DAY”

Judy Button Dont Call Me Honey

Judy Baar Topinka left us too early. Today, Judy would have been 79 years old. Imagine what she would have accomplished. Imagine what she would say today about our current leaders. Imagine what it would be like if the State of Illinois, her home County of Cook, and her hometown, the Village of Riverside, ever did anything to honor this incredible populist leader who was born in, lived her entire life in, and then died in Illinois while in office serving her fellow Illinois citizens. So far, these entities have done nothing.  However, one fellow Illinoisian has done something to honor Judy’s legacy and to inspire his young students.  His story is a great one to be told on “Judy Day.”

Tim Klein | Staunton High School in Staunton, Illinois

Tim Klein is a high school English teacher at Staunton High School in Staunton, Illinois. Tim started at Saint Louis University Law School before going into the classroom full time in 2015. He has been at the Center for Educational Opportunities in Troy; Edwardsville High School for summer Government; Jersey Community High School, and his current position at Staunton High School teaching English 1 and US Government.  In his past US Government courses at Staunton High School, Tim has used the book, Just Judy, A Citizen and Leader for Illinois to allow his upperclassmen to see the life and times of a great Illinoisan and how she battled through many political conflicts. His students really liked Judy’s victory speech (third link below) because they gravitate toward winners. Judy’s son talked to Tim Klein a few months ago. Tim told Judy’s son words to the effect that Tim’s students “thought Judy was like one of them.” 

Below you will see links to the videos that Tim has shown to his students to supplement their reading of Just Judy:

The Judy Baar Topinka Charitable Foundation hopes that teachers around Illinois and beyond use Tim’s example going forward.

The Illinois State Senate at the Illinois State Capitol

In addition, we are proud to present to you a digital copy of Your Guide to the Illinois Senate. This guide is a must for teachers all over Illinois and beyond for their students. Judy Baar Topinka served two terms as an Illinois State Senator. She loved the Illinois Senate. As is tradition in the Illinois Senate, when a Senator passed his or her first bill, it was signed by all of the Senators. 

A picture of Judy’s first Senate Bill (SB) can be found in Just Judy, A Citizen and Leader for Illinois along with many interesting stories about Judy’s service in the Illinois State Senate. One of those stories addresses how Judy was often referred to as “Honey” or “Baby” by many male senators and staff when she began her tenure in the Senate. In typical Judy style, she began wearing the attached button along with her incredible smile in an effort to set a standard for all senators.  She was a senator and proud of that title. Anything less than that title was dishonorable to the chamber itself. 

Remember that the foundation is always willing to donate copies of Just Judy to interested teachers. In an age of negatives, Judy Baar Topinka’s story is a positive one that can inspire young people to do great things for their communities in the future. Judy Baar Topinka was a model for all of us demonstrating that anyone with passion, drive, and hard work can triumph in the face of great odds.

your guide to the illinois senate
Judy Button Dont Call Me Honey