Harlan Behrens was an executive at tackle box manufacturer Plano Molding Co. and served on North Aurora’s Village Board in the 1960s and early ‘70s.

“He was a dedicated individual to the community,” said Kane County Board member and former North Aurora Mayor Dale Berman.

Behrens, 96, died of heart failure April 13 in Santa Rosa, California, said his daughter, Leigh, a former Tribune dining editor. Known to many as “Barney,” Behrens had moved from Sugar Grove in the early 2000s to Arizona, later relocating to California.

Born in Aurora, Behrens graduated from West Aurora High School. He served in the Army in Italy after World War II and then received a bachelor’s degree in business and economics from Aurora College — now Aurora University — in 1951 on the GI Bill.

Behrens began his career as an accountant at Thor Power Tool Co. in Aurora, later becoming the firm’s controller. In the late 1960s, Behrens joined Plano Molding in Plano, and later became the company’s chief financial officer.

Founded in 1952, Plano Molding specializes in producing and selling tackle boxes. During his time there, Behrens created mentoring programs connecting the company with local schools and also helped launch a line of cosmetics organizers in Europe, his daughter said.

After Behrens retired from Plano Molding in the late 1990s, the company created the Harlan R. Behrens Operational Excellence Award, which honors outstanding employees.

In the late 1950s, Behrens moved with his family to North Aurora, and he soon became involved in the rapidly growing community. Behrens joined the North Aurora Lions Club and also won a seat on North Aurora’s Village Board in 1965, serving until the early 1970s.

“He worked hard all day long for the community,” Berman said. “We just did all kinds of good things for the community together.”

In 1986, Behrens and his wife moved from North Aurora to Sugar Grove, and in the 1990s, they began dividing their time between Sugar Grove and a home in Fountain Hills, Arizona, where Behrens was active in his church and in his tennis league.

Also, at age 70, Behrens played in thrice-weekly games in a basketball league in Plano called the Businessman’s Lunch League, which mostly consisted of employees of Plano Molding.

Behrens enjoyed taking on new challenges, and those included parasailing in Jamaica when he was in his 80s and taking ukulele lessons when he was in his 90s, his daughter said.

“In addition to his business and public service success, my dad was truly a lifelong athlete, and that really shaped his personality and perspective,” his daughter said.

Behrens’ wife of 53 years, Joan, died in 2010. In addition to his daughter, he is survived by two sons, Eric and Chris; a sister, Judy Stewart; and five grandchildren.

A service was held in California and a memorial service is being planned for Arizona.

Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.

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