Bob’s Park
Robert Howells was a longtime resident of the Belvidere/Rockford area. He graduated from Rockford College and then received an MS degree in social work from the University of Illinois. After working for H. Douglas Singer Mental Health Center and for the State of Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy in Rockford, he began remodeling homes as an independent business owner. He then followed his passion for the outdoors by making it accessible to all who were willing to discover what Boone County has to offer by acquiring land for both the Belvidere Park District and Boone County Conservation District. He was active in government affairs as a member of the Boone County Zoning Board and served as chair in 1989. He also served on the Belvidere Planning Commission from 1990 to 2004. He was a founding member of the Parks and Conservation Foundation of Belvidere and Boone County.
After being severely injured, and while he was a patient in a rehab center, Bob wrote the following:
Two years later, Bob passed on, but his memory will be kept alive through all the happy families that enjoy Bob’s Park every day.