* Ted Slowik at the Southtown…

Maggie Crotty is stepping down from her elected post as supervisor of Bremen Township for health reasons, officials said Wednesday.

Mary Margaret “Maggie” Crotty, 71, of Oak Forest, has been township supervisor since 2005. She previously held elected positions as a state senator, state representative and Democratic Party committeeman for Bremen Township.

“Right now Maggie doesn’t feel like she can continue,” said Rondal Jones, who serves as office manager and deputy clerk for Bremen Township and as an elected alderman in Markham. “We pray for her health.” […]

Crotty is credited with leveraging her political connections and influence in Springfield to benefit local communities after she retired from the General Assembly. Crotty helped secure $2.5 million in grants that helped pay for a new Metra station that opened in Oak Forest days before Christmas in 2013. […]

Crotty served 16 years in the state legislature. She served three terms in the House, from 1997 to 2002. She represented the 19th District in the Illinois Senate from 2002 to 2012. She was known for her work on health care and education legislation.

I knew her when she was in the legislature and covered her first race. She was part of the south suburban group that helped put the House Democrats back into the majority.

Unlike a lot of politicians, her smile comes from a real place. She was ambitious, but was also like everyone’s favorite aunt. Sometimes, I’d drop by her office just because I needed to cheer myself up. Maggie was the type of legislator who gave you hope for what that body could be. I sure hope this is a temporary setback. We need more people like her in this world.