Dwight Ekenberg: Work Hard, Play : simplebooklet.com

Dwight Ekenberg is a successful partner and accountant at Ekenberg Ekenberg made possible by years of long hours hard work and dedication Part of his business acumen may be inherited from his father Big Al Ekenberg who founded the company in 1985 Dwight has scores of loyal clients and an executive team who look up to him as a great leader But his career only paints half the story Dwight s true persona can be best seen through the words of the people who know him best his wife Robin and four kids Blake Paige Chloe and Brett He is the kindest nicest most thoughtful person in the entire world said Robin Whether showering his wife with gifts large and small or just surprising her with a night out in the city Dwight treats his wife much like he did when they first met in 1982 He s the full package A sophomore at Indiana University Robin Gayle Tate decided to join a few sorority sisters for a dorm room party at the Hummer House of Wright Quad It turned out to be Dwight s room but Robin didn t connect with him just yet That night he was kissing some girl and I was kissing some boy said Robin 3

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Even though the two didn t find romance that night Dwight soon saw something in Robin The two would run into each other at future parties and started talking on the phone That summer Robin stayed on campus for summer school while Dwight came home to Deerfield to work for his dad s accounting business He also made a phone call to Mr and Mrs Tate asking permission to take their daughter out when she got home We went out on our first date later that summer and I never dated anyone else after that said Robin Their first date was a long one sharing shrimp and taco dip at a friend s pool party before catching the band Asia at Poplar Creek Music Theater After the show Dwight and Robin hung out and talked for hours at Wilmette Harbor We played a little kissy face Robin didn t get home until after 3 in the morning Dwight went home and woke up his brother Ken to tell him that he had met the woman he was going to marry In June of 1986 he did just that marrying Robin at Northminster Presbyterian Church and then celebrating with friends and family at Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park

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The couple first had a townhouse in Dwight s hometown of Deerfield but then bought a house in Lincolnshire in 1989 In the years that followed Dwight showered his wife with love and some very cool presents including cars and trips to Mexico He bought me one of those cute smart cars said Robin We call it the clown car but I love it Even better gifts came in the form of four kids with Blake in 1990 Paige in 1992 Chloe in 1997 and Brett in 1999 The blessings of children did not come easily which made each of their appearances all the more special Life s tough moments have only strengthened the bond between Robin and Dwight The loss of Dwight s father Big Al Ekenberg in October of 2013 was a major blow That really rocked his world said Robin He was very close to his dad But Big Al s apples didn t fall far from the tree Dwight together with brother Ken and sister Linda are carrying on the family accounting business and are still working together today 5

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In 2016 the future looks bright for Dwight and his family Dwight s own apples haven t fallen far from the tree either The older kids Blake and Paige have already graduated from the couple s Alma Mater Indiana University and are both finding their own success in life This fall Chloe will be starting at the Kelly School of Business within IU just like her dad did over 30 years earlier Brett will be a junior in high school with a knack for golf and accounting just like dad and his sight set on IU He is already making big plans to follow in his dad s footsteps and take on the family business someday Robin knows she lucked out in marrying Dwight He s the shining star Smart social put together He s the full package Robin looks forward to the future with her shining star hoping they can slow down travel more and enjoy life Life is very fun to be married to him I can t wait to be empty nesters

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Practice makes perfect Blake 26 Paige 24 Chloe 18 and Brett 16 are lucky in many ways They have had happy childhoods complete with fun friends and a loving family All four kids cite their dad as a role model inspiration loving parent and now friend Isn t this what every parent aspires to I d like to say I have my dad s work ethic but I wouldn t be telling the truth said son Blake He works harder than anyone I know Leading by example Dwight knows how to put the hours in when necessary sometimes leaving for work as early as 3 30 or 4 in the morning and working until 7 or 8pm This lesson of hard work is applied on the soccer field and basketball court as well Dwight has coached 50 teams over 18 years with the Spring Lake Sports League Among his players were his kids whom he treated like any other He always taught us practice makes perfect said Blake who now coaches his own basketball teams You have to work at your craft if you want to be good It s the work that nobody sees you doing that really matters Youngest son Brett also has fond memories of dad as coach I never played a sport unless he was coach I was on his last team Coach Ekenberg taught his team to play hard but also have fun We always had good teams said Blake But we also managed to have more fun than any of the others Who wouldn t want to be on that team 7

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Sunday is 50 of the weekend Daughters Paige and Chloe also played sports with dad but found other ways to bond as well We did Indian Princesses together daddy daughter dances and now he does my taxes laughs daughter Paige We ve always been close This closeness has come in handy when miles separate them In 2014 Paige took a job in Phoenix Arizona and found herself lonely and homesick Her dad knew immediately something was wrong He knows how to read people I would call home and if I was having a bad day the second he heard my voice he could tell Paige missed the comforts of home but also the company there truly enjoying hanging out with her dad whether seeing Dave Matthews or OAR together or simply sharing a glass of wine on the patio Daughter Chloe is equally as close with her father I tell him everything Probably too much With her dad s working hours the chance to be together is special I get happy when I can see him He leaves for work before I go to school and comes home late I love seeing him Savoring life is something Dwight has taught all his kids Especially Sundays Working as hard as he does Monday through Friday Dwight makes sure to milk every hour out of his weekends whether it s on the golf course with son Brett or having a big dinner out with family 8

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My dad lives for the weekend He always says Sunday is 50 of your weekend so don t waste the day planning for the week ahead Enjoy it said Paige I have learned to really enjoy my Sundays In addition to a love for free time and family Dwight has a huge heart for his friends and community at large The Ekenberg s social circle is so encompassing the family typically sends out over 1 200 cards at Christmas He is the life of the party said Blake You think of an accountant as stiff and quiet but he is the complete opposite I ve never met a guy who didn t like my dad said Brett Somehow Dwight still makes time to volunteer for favorite causes and help others such as the Riverside Foundation a local charity that works with adults with special needs Dwight has also donated countless hours as President of Exmoor Country Club Even though his coaching days are over Dwight still enjoys cheering on other neighborhood kids at local school sporting events truly living up to his unofficial title of Mayor of Lincolnshire 9

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He ll walk over to our old school just to watch a 3rd grade basketball team play said Brett When I grow up I want to be just like him With all these great attributes the kids have plenty of material to be inspired by He has taught them the value of hard work while at the same time enjoying life to the fullest Most importantly Dwight has taught his kids how it feels to be loved He has the most incredible relationship with my mom said Paige Someday I hope I will meet someone and have that same kind of relationship They just love hanging out together My dad has been my idol since I was 1 said Brett I love him He s always been there for me Out of everyone on this earth I look up to him more than anybody else said Blake He couldn t be a better dad Perhaps Chloe sums it up the best He is the greatest man I have ever known

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Some of Dwight s closest friends were asked to share their thoughts and memories The responses were as diverse and unique as Dwight himself DwightYears ago on the golf course when I mistook my 6 iron for a 9 iron after having a camel unfiltered and losing my putter we developed an unique relationship You are extremely generous and have an ability to always see a bright side I know you will always be there for me and vice versa Some favorite memories Roofies at IU and Miamio Ohio Dinner at Joe s Stonecrab Don Ho s brother Azz Singing Hall and Oates falsetto in first class and almost getting kicked out These stories are only the tip of the iceberg Love ya Dwight Riles 11

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Dwight and Robin have four kids that serve as bookends and have made them the unofficial mayor and mayorette of Lincolnshire because they know parents at all ages Blake and Paige are out of college so they know parents of the older kids Chloe is a recent high school grad and Brett is going to be a junior in high school so they also know the formerly young parents They will soon have to either need to move or adopt a preschooler to keep this going As far as anyone can tell Dwight never sleeps He may be a vampire who sleeps upside down which may explain why he is so tall During tax return season he literally sleeps less than four hours a night on a good night I have had countless early departures to O Hare for a 6am flight on the road at 4 45 or 5 and Dwight s convertible is in the parking lot at his office on 294 Despite this he has coached countless basketball and baseball teams for all of his kids Every year since we have lived in Lincolnshire Dwight and his family have hosted the best party on the morning of the Fourth of July for the hokey Lincolnshire Parade Their house has a ton of people of all ages with food and beverages for all There is a hydration station that is set up where people attending Dwight s party are staffed with rubber gloves so that they can reach into giant coolers of ice to hand ice cold beverages to parade participants It is the favorite stop on the parade route for all Every summer we had a tradition where the Ekenberg family would come up to our home in Grand Beach Michigan along with some of my college roommates and their families One year Dwight s daughter Paige watched our younger kids while we all went out to a fun dinner at the Stray Dog When we came back home Paige wanted to go to the beach for a bonfire with some guys from Michigan State that she had met earlier that day on the beach Despite being tired after a long day Dwight told Robin that he would escort Paige down to the beach so that Robin could go to bed and get rest Dwight went down to the beach and by the end of the night the Michigan State students including several MSU football players had used peer pressure to get Dwight to do a few beer shotguns They were calling him Frank the Tank a character from the movie Old School and when we came to the beach on Sunday morning the guys from MSU were chanting Dwight s name Dwight quickly suggested that we go to another area of the beach Robin was puzzled wondering how these guys all knew Dwight s name Now she knows Several years ago Dwight joined me on a golf trip to Ireland with some other friends and clients Dwight had never been to Europe but he adjusted quite nicely We were visiting one of the pubs in Dublin one 12

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evening and Ireland was playing Sweden in a World Cup qualifier soccer match The pub was quite festive with a spirited group supporting Ireland and a large group of Swedes wearing Viking helmets Sweden won the game and the pub erupted Since Dwight s family is from Sweden he found many long long long lost relatives that night and the Viking helmet with the gold braided hair looked very natural on him Dwight is a great facilitator of getting people together when most people s instincts are to stay home Given recent studies that show how an active social life is important to one s health on that measure alone he is a lifesaver to many He developed the Lincolnshire Ryder Cup an outing for the past ten years or so where players from 35 to 75 play based on teams by age the Oldsters vs the Youngsters These events have taken place in Wisconsin Michigan Galena and Alabama Dwight is always the guy who initiates things and plans them out to make sure that they happen He has made a lot of memories for a lot of people Dwight works as a CPA at the family firm that was founded by his father He works with his brother Kenny and sister Linda Most would agree that Dwight is the most outgoing and personable accountant that they have ever met He would make a great salesman and probably a politician if he is looking for a new career For his 50th birthday we had eight guys to play a number of golf courses at and near Pebble Beach California That was a great trip with a lot of very funny stories This year for his 55th birthday we are going to Pinehurst North Carolina and I expect a similar outcome for all Pete Walsh 13

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My fondest memory of Dwight spans the 23 years that we have spent raising our families together in Lincolnshire A few highlights Day 1 Meeting on 4th of July at Spring Lake Park 23 years ago I asked my wife Who was that guy Day 2 Meeting Robin EK I pure symbiosis Have we met Old Orchard parking lot Cadillac Hmmm Then many moments to follow Indian Princess participation to transformation From stinky foot scavenger hunt to Brat Stop Zukowski Helen dancing on the EK fireplace trying to induce labor hello Moo Sunday Club Players Club Fashion Show Knight of Knights Watermelon shots Pool Hopping with our daughters Fire pits July 4th Parade March to Parade Watch Distribution Citizen of the year BeerBong Zukowski The Stones bad biker jokes Coach EK Coach Bob CoachingCartel Basketball Soccer Dream Team LOTS OF HOURS NO REGRETS Ek throwing his Olympic Opening Ceremonies Party at my house every 2 years Ek s BeerBong birthday gift my first to My 50th Birthday NiceDressEK its time to see Zukowski The List goes on but at this point thankful for all the memories and the privilege of living and raising our families together Happy Birthday Coach Ek And of course my FINAL FINAL Sunday is 50 of our weekend Love Bob Helen Taylor Carlee Morgan Berland

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Dwight The below right picture perfectly epitomizes what I genuinely love about you You took the time to motivate us for a small golf trip to Florida to celebrate my 50th You knew I didn t want anything too elaborate but also knew more than I did that this was an important occasion to be with friends I will never forget this trip and it wouldn t have happened without you Besides being the driving force behind this trip you as always know how to memorialize any occasion You put together a great memento with personal notes you know about Sponge Bob Many of us think about nice things to do for our friends but few actually make them happen You make things happen Jerry Crowley Ek It has been truly awesome for Kristin and I to get to know you and the family better these past couple of years We loved having Chloe coach Abby s JP team as it was the first coach the girls actually enjoyed going to practice for and could finally relate to on a personal level On the golf course or at parties you have always been a high energy fun loving positive person that infects everyone else around you I look forward to many more years of friendship and spending time together fish bowls and final finals Happy Birthday Ek Congrats on raising such a wonderful family and being a pillar of the community Dave Keevins 15

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My favorite memory of Dwight is from long ago I was working at Sara Lee and was able to invite him and Robin to the Masters golf tournament I had customers too and both Dwight and Robin were outstanding helpers As cool and collected in social situations as Dwight is multiply that x10 for Robin We were in a mad dash but no running at Augusta early in the morning for prime seat positions April in the South can be beastly hot freezing cold or wet We had wet Real wet As we walked quickly down from the front gate towards heaven 7th green the ground was soaked and we were directed to paths filled with slippery straw Dwight took his seat mission seriously and headed downhill but fell face first and ruined all his clothes with the wet Georgia red clay Robin and Dwight and all their kids are always meticulously dressed and their home is meticulously clean and neat So Robin gasped in horror thinking she would have to walk around in public at Augusta National with a husband who looked like he just emerged from a barn where he had spent the day shoveling pig manure Robin would have none of that Once the seats were properly established he was obliged to purchase a new outfit for the day at the Masters store And he walked a lot more carefully the rest of the day 16 CMAC

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I love Dwight Every time I hear his name I smile I am so lucky to have accumulated many classic stories since our paths first crossed in the summer of 1997 Karen and I were new in Lincolnshire and went to a concert in the park at Spring Lake Karen was pregnant with our second daughter Sammy and Robin was pregnant with Chloe Karen and I set up a blanket with our daughter Leah and within a few minutes in true Ek style Dwight introduced himself and invited us to join them with a cold beer For the past 20 years watching our families grow I have had so much fun on many adventures with Dwight I always look forward to the EK Christmas card the 4th of July parade and exchanging a few dollar bills with Dwight on the golf course He is an outstanding father husband and friend I am looking forward to great adventures ahead I wish you a very Happy Birthday and many more I love you Dwight Your friend Sam DwightYour yellow sport coat was like the Sisters Traveling Pants movie because that coat was worn by no less than 6 different women one night Not that you were chasing any of them it s just your coat took on a life of its own I have known you for a much shorter time than most of your friends but am proud to call you a great friend to me and so many others You are always there for so many people and you donate tremendous time and effort to so many charities and one that is very close to me at Misericordia You re a great guy great family man and A Great American JR 17

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Eliisa and I moved to Lincolnshire from Southern Illinois and signed up our oldest Alex to play LSA travel baseball I volunteered to be an assistant coach and was invited to a coaching session When I arrived we reviewed each player s ability level positions and batting order while drinking Diet Coke Later that fall Alex signed up for travel basketball and I volunteered to be an assistant Dwight was the head coach A few weeks before the season Dwight invited me to a coach s session at Kona Grill I arrive promptly at 7 30pm portfolio and notes in hand prepared to discuss the upcoming season and find Dwight with 15 other guys hanging out and watching a game with cocktails in hand To this day that group of guys are many of my best friends Eliisa and I can t thank Dwight and Robin enough for everything they have done for us The Shire is a special place because special people live here I m thankful for every coach s session Ryder Cup golf trip event dinner and conversation we have had with Dwight and look forward to many many more to come I don t mind Diet Coke but my life was changed forever after my first coaches session Happy 55 Mike and Eliisa Capstick

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I ve always said that one of the most important person in your life is someone you ll never meet That person is the one who assigns you to the dorm that you will live in college I know of at least 10 couples who met at Wright Quad at Indiana University I did not find my spouse although I did find many interesting women but I did meet many of my lifelong friends while living in Hummer House in Wright Quad One of the first guys I met at IU was Kenny Ekenberg and I remember the day his younger brother Dwight paid a visit Kenny was pretty straightlaced in college but you could tell Dwight was more mischievous He was sitting in the stands at Memorial Stadium with Mr and Mrs Ek but you could tell he would be a fun guy to hang around Dwight worked his connections and was assigned to Wright Quad Hummer House in the fall of 79 and a year later he was my roommate Dwight and I were different in many ways I was a farm boy from a blue collar town in northern Indiana who wore flannel shirts most days Dwight was a preppy kid from the affluent North Shore of Chicago who only wore a flannel shirt when he was invited to a barn dance He was focused academically and already knew that he would be a CPA after graduation I was clueless as to what I wanted to study so I became an accounting major because Dwight Kenny Larry and Joel all were accounting majors Dwight studied hard from Sunday night through Thursday night around 8pm but after 8pm Thursday until Sunday morning Dwight was the man Kenny was our suitemate so I spent a lot of time with the Ekenberg boys which made my college experience tremendously fun So fun that after I graduated with my accounting degree I decided to re enroll so I could spend another year at IU with Dwight I showed up in August at IU and slept on Dwight s couch for a week until finally Dwight had an intervention with me and said Stroke I love you like a brother but you can t sleep on my couch all year A little hurt I went apartment hunting the next day but still spent most weekends hanging with Dwight and also Robin at this point I ended up getting an accounting job in Chicago so I got to spend more time with Dwight and Kenny and our weekend shenanigans continued You could not ask for better wingmen then Dwight and Kenny in the bars in Chicago Anytime I talked with a girl there would instantly be drinks and shots sent our way I really miss those days and the Cubs games concerts Square D golf outings etc Living in Indy I don t see Dwight and Robin nearly enough but I am fortunate to see them a couple of times each year and we just pick up where we left off I m just really glad the anonymous person assigned me to Wright Quad Hummer House where I met my friend Dwight Happy 55th Big D Love ya man Kerry Miller 21

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Dwight and I have known each other for a long time We were fortunate to have grown up together in Deerfield We went to grade school junior high and high school together and remained best of friends through college We had a tremendous group of friends and his friends became my friends and vice versa I have included some pictures from some of the many great times we spent together Grade School Years Dwight and I were in the same classes in 3rd 4th 5th grade at Kipling Elementary We had many good times playing basketball and football on the playground at recess In summer Dwight would stop off at my neighbors house the Riggios and we would play whiffle ball or some other game The hot book that Mr Dempsey our 6th grade English teacher introduced us to was The Hobbit Junior High Years Junior high went by in a hurry and did not seem as memorable as grade school or high school All I remember was that the big grudge match every year was Shepard vs Wilmot in basketball The only other thing that really stands out was our 8th grade trip to Washington D C Ask Dwight about the gambling that was going on while we were on the bus There were kids losing 50 on the bus and that was a lot of money back then 22

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High School Years It s hard to imagine anyone having more fun in high school than we had Dwight and I and a few other guys Pete Stark Bod Lindholm Tootie Carlson Dave Williams Mark Furlong Kurt Weidler John Banta Terry Donovan Dave Simpson Jay Oberrieder started a group call the Rowdies We thought we were hot stuff in our red and white jackets Someone dared us to put on cheerleading outfits at one of the football games and we accepted the challenge Then there was the toga party We had around 300 400 people not a bad turnout for two guys who never drank through high school Ask Dwight about who won the best toga contest 23

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Dwight and I had birthdays two days apart from one another and before we headed off to college we decided to have a luau birthday party Once again most of our senior class showed up to help us celebrate I remember that EK and I positioned ourselves at the entry to the Meadowbrook subdivision a narrow private road and blocked off the road so that the neighbors would not get angry with all of the cars parking in their neighborhood I will never forget that Mr Ek Dwight s father made us large daiquiris to celebrate our birthdays Mr Ek was one heck of a good father and a real gentleman 24

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The College Years We had such a good time during our college years The summers were a ball of fun whether it was running up to Lake Geneva for a few libations with the guys or heading to Alpine Valley to see the Doobie Brothers Eagles Supertramp or Billy Joel to name a few The group included Dwight and me Carrie Filmore Terry Tumpey Tom Hoffmann and Brian Meyer I ll let Dwight tell you what we used to call ourselves Although Ek went to Indiana and I went to Western Illinois we remained great friends and talked to each other nearly every week I included the business card Dwight put together for the two of us both members of the Order of the Golden Shot Glass I had many great times passing this card out at college parties Post College Years This time brought parties with friends from college and home as well as girlfriends now wives I believe a television ended up in the swimming pool at one party It s important to point out that life is not always easy or fair Two of the guys are no longer with us Mike Veins and Mike Schmidt were two of the nicest guys anyone could ever meet and unfortunately they left us far to soon 25

Dwight Ekenberg: Work Hard, Play

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