2023 Hometown Heroes
Magazine

John Guzzardo – an overwhelming example of selfless love and generosity
By Karen Castelein

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[July 03, 2023]   This year, it is with great pleasure and respect that LDN presents to its readers John Guzzardo as one of the 2023 Hometown Heroes.

John is a man who is known for his love of others, his endless devotion to his family and friends, and his generous heart that has over the years had a tremendous impact on more than most would want to try and number.

John was nominated this year with a summation that speaks volumes in the first sentence.

“I love this man's heart for his family and his community.

‘While he has owned and operated a family business downtown for years, it is his love for people that shines through. He is one of the most generous people I know. He has helped hundreds of people needing a hand up, a free meal, a shoulder to cry on, a place to stay, or a job and has mentored more people than I can count...AND he has given God the glory for all of it!

“This humble man has chaired American Cancer Relays for Life events, been a member of several local organizations, given free meals to those in need on Thanksgiving and throughout the year, hosted pizza parties for youth groups and helped students through school. He’s visited shut ins and those in the hospital, been an elder at his church where he served on missions, finance committees and helped with huge capital campaigns to raise money for his church.”


Those who have ever seen John out and about with family know that his love for all people starts at home with his own children and grandchildren, and they feel the love he has for them in every action.

When Guzzardo was nominated, the first step was to have a talk with some folks who are closest to him, starting with his son. Nick Guzzardo grew up by his dad’s side in the family restaurant and today he is the general manager as John enjoys some well-deserved time off from the heavy lifting.

When Nick was asked what his dad meant to him, he choked up and could hardly express himself. Finally he said “Everything. Period.”

Soon he expanded his thoughts saying, “He is solid as a rock! Loyal to his family, the restaurant, his church (Lincoln Christian) and his community. He is a 100 percent legit guy."

Guzzardo’s wife Gail was also asked to offer a few thoughts about her husband. She was happy to do so and the admiration she has for her husband is a reflection of the sentiments of the many people who have been impacted by his love and generosity.

Gail noted, “John is known and loved by our community as is evidenced daily with the number of people who gravitate in his direction to say hello and to share memories.

“As a lifelong Lincoln resident, he has built decades of rich relationships and impacted so many lives in a positive way. In 1957 his mom and dad opened the doors to the restaurant that bears the family name.

“John began in that business at the age of 12 and expanded the seating capacity many times over the years, allowing for wonderful gatherings and great food for our community.

“Son Nick has further built and run the restaurant and Grandson JT has recently come on board as the fourth generation of Guzzardo entrepreneurs to serve the delicious food that draws people from all over central Illinois.”

Gail continues, “Generosity is his middle name and one way you will see that is through the incredible number of Thanksgiving Meals that are served for anyone who requests. A less visible measure of his generosity is evidenced by the number of people he has assisted financially over the years to fill a need.

“John has also served the community well in directing charitable events to support needs in our community over the years. There were also many positive accomplishments paired with fiscal responsibility during his time as Mayor. I often hear people say ‘John, you were the best mayor the city has ever had’.

“John has a gift for seeing a need and filling it. Whether this came through his time as an Elder at Lincoln Christian Church, his outreach to the community, a need in another country, or other avenues, so many lives have been blessed because he took the time, effort, or finances to be a part of the solution. He is funny, supportive, and a tremendous encourager.”

As Gail Guzzardo mentioned, John has been active in his community serving in offices that are sometimes far from popular. He served as a city of Lincoln Alderman and then as the city’s Mayor. He’s been a member of the Lincoln Elementary School District 27 School Board, and the treasurer as well as an Elder at Lincoln Christian Church.

Also, he worked hard serving as the Co-Campaign Chairman to raise funding to build the current Lincoln Memorial Hospital.

Prior to Covid-19, when annual Relay for Life events were held in Lincoln, Guzzardo provided the food for the Survivors Dinner on the night before the relay.

And, of course, thousands, literally thousands of meals have been handed out the back door of the restaurant on Thanksgiving morning as Guzzardo and his staff saw to it that anyone and everyone who had a need was served a meal on Thanksgiving Day.

While Guzzardo’s heart is filled with love for his community, he has seen struggles over the years, and through those struggles his belief that showing love is the best way to survive every challenge shines through. In 2018 Guzzardo spoke at a Cancer Survivor/Supporter Rally at the LMH Wellness Trail. He spoke with love about the cancer battles he had witnessed with friends and loved ones, including his first wife Frankie. He spoke about how the battle ends, with victory over the disease and years of living life on earth, or with victory over the disease and an eternal home with God the Father. He spoke about reaching out to a friend who was a non-believer and having the personal experience of showing that friend the path to God and witnessing his salvation. Guzzardo said that showing love and reaching out to others is a symbol of unity in all things.

Guzzardo has made some dear friends over the years, and among them are Bill and Blinn Bates.

When Bill was asked to share his feelings about his friend, he wrote the following message.

“I have known John as far back as I can remember although we became much closer when I returned to Lincoln in 1979, after Law School. I do not think I have ever met, or known, a person who had a greater interest in helping make Lincoln/Logan County a better place than John. He was always doing something to help someone in our community whether it was related to Lincoln Christian Church, the hospital, the schools, the Lincoln City Council, or the many civic groups that he has supported.

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“John served on the Lincoln City Council, his Church Board of Elders, and the Lincoln Elementary School District Board of Education. I am sure I have overlooked some of the Boards or Councils he sat on but those are the ones that come to mind first for me. Of course, at one point, John served as Mayor of Lincoln and had no motive or ambition other than to make Lincoln a better place to live and work.

“For many, many years, John and his family have provided free Thanksgiving Meals to those less fortunate in and around Lincoln. Over the years, many people have helped in that endeavor and the number of meals they serve on Thanksgiving Day has grown to many hundreds if not thousands. John and his family provide these meals on Thanksgiving Day and do all of the work before they personally enjoy their own Thanksgiving. It is that selfless kind of thing that makes John such an asset to the Lincoln community. If someone or some group needs help with something, John Guzzardo is the first one in line to help.

“John and I served as Co-Chairman of the Capital Champaign to build the new Hospital in Lincoln. Through that experience I came to realize how much John cares for the community of Lincoln. Together, we spent countless hours meeting with citizens and businesses in and around Lincoln in an attempt to raise funds for the new hospital. John was always right there to talk with anyone about the benefits a new hospital would bring to Lincoln. If I heard John say it once I heard him say it a thousand times, ‘we have to have good schools and a good Hospital to attract or retain people in Lincoln’.

“John has always been very active in the Lincoln Christian Church, having served many terms as an Elder and I think also as Treasurer.

“You could not meet a kinder and more gentle soul than John Guzzardo. He helps others constantly without any expectations of them. He lives by his Christian Faith and treats people kindly and always willing to help others. As John often says, “you got to believe!”

Bill
William B. Bates

Blinn Bates is Bill’s son and has grown up witnessing the great friendship between his father and Guzzardo. And he’s been blessed to call Guzzardo his friend too. Blinn’s memories of Guzzardo go back to his childhood and continue on just as does the friendship to this day.

“I have known John Guzzardo my entire life,” says Blinn Bates. “My earliest memories are having dinners and cookouts with the Guzzardo family. I remember John’s boisterous laughter while we watched America’s Funniest Home Videos after dinner.

“When I think about John, I always think about his generosity. Not just to me personally, but to the community as a whole. He has dedicated countless hours and resources to the community he loves. Whether it was serving the city as the most popular Mayor of my lifetime, serving his church, traveling to cheer on the Railers, or serving meals to the less fortunate, John has a tremendous heart for our community.

“John has taught me a lot about what it means to give back and serve one’s community, and he has taught me countless other lessons that have helped me to become the man I am today.

“I worked for John at the Illinois State Fair for many summers. I rode down to Springfield with John early and came home with him late every day. Those drives home were usually pretty quiet because we were worn out, but also there was a sense of accomplishment at the work we had done. That work taught me what it meant to work hard, but it also taught me about responsibility and accountability. I remember one evening after a long day working at the fair, a friend of mine that also worked with us and I decided to stay out late partying after we returned home from work. There were not many words exchanged between John and I the next day, but the message from the boss man was clear: ‘You committed to working and no special treatment is going to be given just because you made a poor decision’.

As I have gotten older and taken more notice, John’s generosity, love of his community, and his faith have all become even more apparent to me. John has a gift for evangelism, but he does not just talk the talk. He lives his life in a way that aligns with his values and his belief in Christ. His life is a testament that there is most certainly good in this world, and our community continues to be blessed by him. I am very proud to call him my friend.”

Blinn Bates
Woods & Bates, P.C.

Now, John really doesn’t know much about this nomination to be one of the Lincoln Daily News’ 2023 Hometown Heroes. We hope he isn’t aggravated with LDN for bringing him into the spotlight. The reason we say this, is that topping off Johns remarkable character is his humility.

You see, we at LDN also know John pretty well. He will tell you that he is no hero, instead he is a man who has been blessed by God and given a loving family he is proud of, friends that support him as much as he supports them, and the wonderful ability to be able to help when help is needed. He will give all the glory to God for the life he has experienced, the joys he has known, and the hardships he has endured.

He will tell you that no man is capable of doing anything without God blessing it and making it so.

For those of us who know John Guzzardo, that is just one more aspect of what makes him a hero in our eyes and in the hearts of all those who know and love him.

Thank you John, for being you, just the way you are.

 

Read all the articles in our new
2023 Hometown Heroes Magazine

Title
CLICK ON TITLES TO GO TO PAGES
Page
Hometown Heroes - a tribute to ordinary people doing extraordinary things 4
My good friend became my hero when she literally saved my life! 6
How lessons from ay high school coach literally saved my life 7
Tim Searby, A Man for all Seasons 8
Fraternal Order of Eagles People Helping People 12
Selfless and giving define Elaine Aue as a 2023 Hometown Hero 18
Retired LCHS Teacher Jeff Cooper - his "Open Door" policy and concern for his students make him a hero in many of their eyes 22
Memorial Behavioral health - A place where heroes serve up solid futures for those with challenges 30
John Guzzardo - An overwhelming example of selfless love and generosity 38

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