Two Elmwood Park Natives Receive Guerin Prep's Highest Alumni Honors

Kathleen Maibusch O’Brien ‘80 and George Ristau ’70 received Guerin College Preparatory High School’s highest alumni honor at the end of this year’s Baccalaureate Mass held on Thursday, May 28 at the high school. 

The awards recognize their outstanding contribution to their communities, parishes, families and careers and are named for the initial principals of Guerin Prep’s foundation schools: Brother Walter Davenport of Holy Cross and Sister Frances Alma McManus of Mother Theodore Guerin.

Both recipientswere recognized for living the high ideals instilled by these founding principals and, coincidentally, both grew up in Elmwood Park.

Kathleen “Maibusch” O’Brien – the McManus Award

Kathy Maibusch has distinguished herself as an educator and mother and both these professions have taken her on adventures around the world. 

Growing up in Elmwood Park, Kathy  and her six brothers and sisters, graduated from St. Celestine Elementary School, followed by attendance at Mother Theodore Guerin High School, where she was involved in the German Club, Yearbook and National Honor Society. 

She then earned a Bachelor’s Degree in secondary education with an English emphasis from the University of Illinois at Champaign.  She returned to MTG as a teacher for two years before moving with her serviceman husband, Martin, to Guam, where she taught in a Catholic school for another two years.

During her time overseas, she began to raise a family, while also obtaining a master’s degree with a mathematics endorsement.

When she and Marty moved back to the U.S., they began adopting children from Guatemala and Russia.   They now have four biological children and two children from Guatemala and four children from Russia. 

She currently home schools six of her children, and at various times, has home schooled all 10 of her children.  Kathy considers this one of her top professional accomplishments.

But children are not the only adopted members of her family.  She estimates that at that some point, her family has been a foster family to well over 50 dogs and cats.  They currently raise seven goats, three dogs and over live stock at their family farm in Lake Geneva.

Not surprising then has been her service to the Lakeland Animal Shelter in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, and the Humane Society in Newburgh, Indiana.  She also has been involved in Girl Scouts of America, a Youth Advocate Program and on numerous committees within the various churches she has attended.

In regards to her other accomplishments, Kathy explained, “I don’t suppose you’ll find these to be typically viewed as accomplishments, but it do.  I have remained faithful to God…. I have remained married for 22 years…. My children. …My continued education… and my husband and I have taken in a foreign exchange student from Denmark; adopted a blind St. Bernard from a rescue and acquired several homeless goats.  I consider these accomplishments as stemming from a childhood during which I would sometimes hear my mom say, “Aw, what’s one more?  Throw another potato in the pot.”

Her mother, Therese Maibusch, currently lives in Elmwood Park and has served in various administrative capacities at Mother Guerin and now Guerin Prep High School.

At left Kathy and her children present a gift
of a Bible to each of Guerin Prep's graduates.

George Ristau – the Davenport Award

George Ristau has distinguished himself as a businessman as well as a community activist and both his business and his community have revolved around the neighborhood in which he grew up and the schools that he attended. 

Like Maibusch, Ristau is a graduate of St. Celestine Elementary School.  He graduated from Holy Cross in 1970 where he was a member of the National Honor Society and the Key Club. 

George received his Bachelor’s Degree in political science with a minor in history & social studies from DePaul University in 1973.  George continued his education at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago Kent College of Law where he received his Juris Doctor degree in 1976. 

He went on to become the broker, founder and owner of Ristau Realty in Elmwood Park.  He practiced law from 1976-1980 but returned to real estate in 1979 when he because the president of  Century 21, Ristau-Holt, Inc.  From 1986-1990 he was a general partner in numerous commercial projects and apartment buildings including the development of Resurrection Health Center. 

In 1991, he became the broker/owner of Pro Real Estate System, Inc., the area’s largest independent real estate firm.  Since 2000 he has been the broker/owner of Realty World All Pro, Inc., with 70 top producing agents with expertise in residential, commercial and investment and retail leasing.  During this time, he awarded six local parish academic scholarships to Holy Cross and now Guerin Prep.

All during this time, Ristau was dedicated to youth sports and to advancing Holy Cross High School.  Often, these efforts went hand in glove.

He founded Crusaders USA Athletic Program and Camps for second-eighth graders and from 1995 to 2005, he organized AAU Travel basketball and baseball teams, and sponsored basketball, baseball and soccer tournaments. 

Ristau has served on the St. Celestine Athletic committee since 1990, also serving as the basketball coach for 17 of those seasons.  As the board’s vice president, he hired the first salaried athletic director, added five new sports, increased participation and organized the St. Celestine League. 

He also has been active in South Elm Baseball and Elmwood Park Baseball.

Among his accomplishments on behalf of Holy Cross, George helped raise more than $100,000 for the Holy Cross Gym Renovation project.  He was a board member of the Holy Cross Alumni Association from 1996-2004 and was the vice president of Holy Cross’ Inaugural Lay Advisory Board.

His support of and never ending pride in Holy Cross is known to everyone who has ever met George.  “George BLEEDS Holy Cross Red and Gray,” reads the nomination supporting Ristau for the Davenport Award.

And why wouldn’t he?  Besides his brother graduating from Holy Cross in 1979, his sister graduated from Mother Guerin in 1971.  He also put two sons through Holy Cross—Michael graduated from Holy Cross in 2002, Daniel started at Holy Cross and graduated from Guerin Prep in 2007.  George’s son Robert is a currently a junior at Guerin Prep.
 
Said his nominator, “George’s passion for Holy Cross makes it even more impressive that he supports the efforts of Guerin Prep.  You would think it would be difficult for George to pass his support to Guerin Prep considering such a strong tie to Cross…but you can’t tell by his actions.” 

The Alumni Council administers the McManus and Davenport awards and reaches out to the entire alumni community of Guerin Prep’s foundation schools—Holy Cross and Mother Theodore Guerin high schools—for nominations.

At left, George Ristau is pictured with Bill Justisz (far left), president of the Alumni Council, and Terry Malik, president of Guerin Prep.