Rosemont, IL – Donald Stephens II, whose father’s name is on the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, died August 13 at the age of 63.
Funeral services were scheduled for Wednesday, August 17 at Our Lady of Hope in Rosemont.
Stephens, who had been battling cancer, was part of the iconic Stephens family that led the construction of the convention center and was a fixture in Rosemont politics for decades. Stephens worked for the village for more than 43 years and recently retired as head of the village’s police and fire departments. He played an active role in the construction of the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center as well as the Rosemont Horizon arena, now known as Allstate Arena.
Stephens was the son of Mayor Don Stephens, and the father of Christopher Stephens, who is Executive Director of the convention center. His son, Donald Stephens III, stepped into his role as Public Safety Superintendent in 2013.
The Stephens family built the diminutive 1.9 square mile Village of Rosemont into a major trade show powerhouse. It has the 13th largest convention center in the nation with 840,000 square feet of prime exhibit space, according to the latest Trade Show Executive World’s Top Convention Centers directory. It is also the site of many large shows, fastest-growing shows and specialized niche events, conventions and meetings. The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center is located in the Chicago suburbs, a distance of 2.2 miles and 7 minutes from O’Hare International Airport.
Reach Chris Stephens at (847) 692-2220 or stephensc@villageofrosemont.com
