Political Quotes

“Mr. President, in 2004, the city of Quincy, IL, elected a new mayor. In musing on how he intended to lead, he said: ``It's not about me. One person can't make everything happen. You've got to have a team.'' And while it may be true that great leaders need great teams supporting them, John Spring was the kind of leader, mayor, and community advocate you wanted leading your team. Today, it is with great sadness that I share the news of John's passing. A native of Rock Island, IL, John graduated from Quincy College where he met his future wife Karen, who sadly passed away in 2021. They were married for 50 years. A theme that remained consistent throughout John's life was his dedication to serving his community. He first answered the call to service through teaching. John worked as a teacher in St. Louis and in the Quincy Public Schools, before he was hired at Quincy Notre Dame High School in 1976 as a biology teacher and assistant basketball and football coach. His time at Quincy Notre Dame would provide him with one of his first leadership opportunities, when halfway through the school year, he was asked to put aside his teaching duties and serve as the school's first full-time director of development. He readily accepted the challenge. However, what John was not told when he was offered the job was that the school was in financial trouble, having borrowed more than $100,000 from a local bank to cover operation costs.…”