Delores Holmes, former 5th Ward councilmember and co-founder of parent support organization Family Focus, died Tuesday, the city announced in a news release.

Holmes spent 27 years serving as the director of Family Focus. Following her retirement in 2002, she became the 5th Ward’s councilmember in 2005 and represented the ward for three terms until 2017.

“She will be deeply missed, but her impactful presence, advocacy, and the difference she made will always be cherished and remembered,” the city said in the news release.

Before her political career, Holmes volunteered for the League of Women Voters and worked for the Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Head Start program, which provides early childhood education to young children.

In her tenure on City Council, Holmes helped establish the city’s Youth and Young Adult Division and expanded the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program, continuing her lifelong advocacy for children and families.

“Delores was truly a treasured friend of mine,” U.S Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) said in a heartfelt tribute on X. “My heart breaks for her family and all those who loved her. She will be deeply missed by all corners of the Evanston community and beyond.” 

After her second retirement, Holmes continued engaging with the Evanston community while battling a serious illness. She attended an equitable zoning forum on Oct. 13, according to the news release.

“It’s hard to imagine an Evanston without Delores Holmes, but we can and must benefit from the blueprint for caring and service that she left us,” Mayor Daniel Biss said in the news release.

Holmes was 86 years old. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

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