Janice Watkins Award Winners 1994 Article

Lillie Waits and Henry Walli not only share this year’s Janice Watkins Award for Distinguished Civil Service — they share the same faith and a belief in the work ethic described in the Biblical verse above.

To Walli, a recently retired manager with Media Services East, the verse is especially significant because it embodies the philosophy of the Awana International Christian Youth Organization he has served as a volunteer for 35 years. (Awana stands for approved workmen are not ashamed,” taken from the Biblical quote.)

The similarities between this year’s Watkins winners don’t stop there. Both come from large families: Waits is one of 12 children and Walli comes from a family of 14.

Both have worked for the university for more than 25 years. Waits joined UIC in 1969: Walli retired last year after 29 years of service.

“I feel honored and inspired,” says Walli of his selection “I knew Janice personally. She didn’t have a biased muscle in her body and she wasn’t afraid to speak up.”

Janice Watkins, a supervisor in the insurance office, was president of what was then called the Nonacademic Employees Council, as well as the Chancellor’s Staff Advisory Council. She was killed in an auto accident in 1974, on her way home from work.

The award in her name recognizes support staff who show a willingness to go beyond their regular duties, with dedication and commitment not only to their jobs, but their communities.

Waits and Walli will receive the award Friday at a luncheon in their honor.

Waits, a cook in the U of I Hospital, volunteers at a South Side mission. She is especially committed to helping youth and elderly people who are without family.

Waits, who says she has been blessed many times over and does not hesitate to assist others has helped care for a widowed neighbor for nearly 14 years.

Late one night, she got a phone call from an elderly man for whom she sometimes cooked. He was in need of food.

“Even though my husband is not a ‘Good Samaritan,’ that night he drove me to deliver some food to the man.” says Waits

Walli, too, is a good person to call upon in an emergency – like the time he was phoned at home by a professor whose department forgot to order audiovisual equipment for a major conference they were hosting on campus.

Without a second thought, Walli drove back to UIC from his suburban home and helped to avoid what might have been a fiasco.

Walli says his job in Media Services was “solving problems, dealing with staff, supervisors, and faculty. All unique and all with different kinds of needs. There were very few problems I couldn’t solve.”

As a retiree, Walli owns another problem-solving business – Handy Henry Systems. He provides plumbing, electrical and other services

Waits, too, is a problem-solver. She recalls the time she went on vacation and returned to find a new supervisor had reassigned duties and staff. The changes created more work for the staff making simple tasks difficult.

Waits, too, is a problem-solver.

When she asked her co-workers why no one spoke up to explain their work stations, they replied, “She’s the supervisor. She ought to know.”

Waits says she politely explained how the unit had previously worked and described in detail what everyone did – and what they did best. The supervisor expressed her appreciation and followed her suggestions.

When asked about their advice to others and plans for the future, both recipients respond altruistically.

“I believe that you should do all the good you can and it’ll come back to you,” says Waits.

Walli plans to spend his next years “helping others realize their dreams.”