The incoming assessor of Evanston Township was found dead in her home Wednesday morning, according to police.
Authorities discovered Sharon Eckersall, 69, unresponsive in her bed after someone called an ambulance at about 8:30 a.m. to the 2500 block of Ashland Avenue, police said.
Police launched a death investigation but said they do not suspect foul play.
An autopsy was conducted on Eckersall’s body Thursday morning, but the cause and manner of her death are “pending further study,” according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Evanston Police Cmdr. Jay Parrott said the classification is common when the incident is not criminal in nature, no one witnessed the death and the person who died does not have a medical history.
The medical examiner’s office does not expect to release more information on Eckersall’s death for at least two months.
“She’s going to be missed,” said city clerk Rodney Greene, who knew Eckersall for about five years. “(She was) very down-to-earth, told you what she felt, told you what she thought was right or wrong and didn’t care if you didn’t agree with it.”
Eckersall, a longtime real estate agent and lifelong resident of the North Shore, ran unopposed for assessor in April. She was expected to take office at the beginning of next year.
Eckersall served three terms in the position before another realtor, Bonnie Wilson, beat her in 2009. Three employees sued Eckersall’s office for wrongful termination during her first tenure as assessor, costing the city $300,000 in legal fees.
In 2010, Eckersall ran as a Republican for Cook County assessor and came in third out of four candidates. Wilson decided not to run for re-election in the spring, paving Eckersall’s path to reclaim her old job.
“The Town of the City of Evanston was truly saddened to hear of the passing of Sharon Eckersall,” Wilson and township supervisor Gary Gaspard said in a statement. “We hope that the family will find courage and strength to bear this loss. We would like to extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to the Eckersall family.”
Greene described Eckersall as a compassionate public servant whose experience and training “went way beyond” the qualifications for assessor.
“She was always making sure the citizens got the best assessment of their property,” Greene said. “She was, all around, a person who was really concerned about what can do for somebody else.”
Greene said Eckersall “loved” all animals, especially her two golden retrievers. In an “unfortunate incident” the week before Eckersall died, one of her golden retrievers bit a smaller dog whose owner later decided to put it down, Parrott said. Police have found no connection between the incident and Eckersall’s death.
She was also a Northwestern fan and had season tickets for the football team, Greene said.
Barbara Haran, managing broker at Coldwell Banker’s Evanston office, said Eckersall’s colleagues are “deeply saddened” by her death.
“As a Realtor, Sharon was an extremely hard worker. You would always find her in the office at night and over the weekend,” Haran wrote in a statement. “Her strong work ethic was also evident in her role as the Evanston Township Assessor and as a foster parent to many golden retrievers in need. The agents in my office and I will miss her greatly.”
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PatrickSvitek
