Six inducted in Central Hall of Fame

The Hinsdale Central Hall of Fame will induct six new members tonight, Sept. 19, at its dinner at Ruth Lake Country Club. The event has taken place every year since the inaugural class was inducted in 1997.

Following are brief bios of members of the Class of 2024.

Sandy Murray Gbur Class of 1973

As a high schooler, Gbur volunteered at The Farm Club (today's Hanson Center) in Burr Ridge and taught a young boy with a developmental disability how to bowl. This experience led Gbur into a 43-year career in special recreation. Working with park districts and villages in Chicago's suburbs, she helped educate officials of the need for quality recreation programs for individuals with disabilities. As an executive director of special recreation associations, Gbur secured funding for various programs, including a therapeutic day program for high school graduates and an adaptive athletics program for those with physical disabilities. When the Illinois Assembly passed the property tax cap in 1992, Gbur championed legislation that removed special recreation levies from the tax cap's restrictions. She's been named outstanding professional of the year by the Illinois Park and Recreation Association and philanthropic leader of the year by West Suburban Philanthropic Network.

Mark Litzsinger Class of 1974

Mark Litzsinger became a two-time state tennis champion at Hinsdale Central and went on to compete at Texas Christian University. Litzsinger then entered the family business at the ground level as an assistant store manager for the Follet Corp. and rose through the ranks to become chairman of the board at age 47. The company grew from $1 billion at the start of his term as chairman to $2.7 billion when he retired at age 55 in 2011. A journey through depression inspired Litzsinger to write the book "Climbing Toward the Light" aimed at helping those suffering from depression, and he gives talks about his experience to remove the stigma and raise awareness. He enjoys raising and showing champion Samoyeds and invented a leash for walking multiple dogs at a time. Litzsinger serves on Central's 50th Reunion Committee and founded a philanthropic trust to benefit deserving organizations.

Rodolfo "Rudy" Roca

To escape the political turmoil in Cuba in 1957, Roca and his younger brother were sent to Illinois to live with a vacationing couple they had met on the island. The talented swimmer attended North Central College on a scholarship and competed for Cuba at the Pan Am games in Chicago in 1959. Roca began teaching Spanish at Hinsdale Central in 1964 and was an assistant swim coach under head coaches Don Watson, Pete Anderson, Ken Correa and Tom Schweer, emphasizing dedication and hard work. As a teacher Roca was instrumental in developing Central's Spanish program. He also established Central's Academy for European Studies and led summer learning trips for students to Spain, London and France. Outside of school he managed Clarendon Hills Lions Pool for almost 20 years. After retiring in 1993, Roca taught Spanish at the College of DuPage for almost 20 years. He and wife Mary Lou are parents to three, grandparents to six.

John David Sandeen Class of 1964

Sandeen was a three-sport athlete at Central and received the Jim Carmignani award for sports achievement and leadership. Following medical school at the University of Illinois and residency, Sandeen opened his private family medicine practice in Laramie, Wyo., in 1975, delivering more than 1,500 babies in 15 years. Sandeen also served on the medical staff at Ivinson Memorial Hospital, chaired the hospital's credentials committee for five years and was chief of staff for two years. In 1990 Sandeen moved his practice to Prescott, Ariz., where much of his work was in dermatology and skin cancer surgery because of region's high sun exposure. He was medical director of health services at Emory Riddle Aeronautical University from 1992 to 2006, then became the medical director of the wound care center at Yavapai Regional Medical Center from 2006-11. Sandeen retired in 2014, and he and his wife have a son and daughter.

John W. Sutherland Class of 1976

Sutherland is a professor and Fehsenfeld Family Head of Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University. Following the completion of his doctorate in mechanical engineering, Sutherland launched a manufacturing consulting firm providing software solutions for manufacturing and conducted industry training on quality improvement. In 1991, he joined the faculty at Michigan Technological University, pioneering the field of sustainable manufacturing to maximize effective use of resources, minimize environmental impacts and improve economic competitiveness. In 2009, Sutherland became head of Purdue's department of environmental and ecological engineering. He is regarded as one of the leading authorities on the application of sustainability principles to design, manufacturing and other industrial issues, and authored a widely used textbook on statistical quality design and control. Along with receiving dozens of awards for teaching and research, Sutherland was elected to the prestigious U.S. National Academy of Engineering. He and his wife Brenda have two daughters and seven grandchildren.

Tom Truedson Class of 1974

Although Truedson didn't make Central's freshman gymnastics team, by the time he graduated he had placed third in state on pommel horse and helped the Red Devils capture the runner-up trophy. Truedson matriculated to the University of Oregon to study marketing and computer science and continue his gymnastics career, earning two-time NCAA All American honors. After working in marketing for several years, he and two co-workers launched their own firm, The Core Organization. They ultimately sold the company, allowing Truedson to retire in 2020. He served on the Oak Brook Park District Commission for 24 years, including a stint as president, and led efforts to acquire open space and expand park facilities. In 2015 the park district was named National Park District of the Year. He currently sits on Oak Brook Athlete of the Year committee to recognize outstanding athletic accomplishments of local student athletes. He and his wife Patti have four children.