Sometimes silver is as good as gold. Just ask Bob Napoli.

On July 28, Napoli, who calls himself a “no. 2 man,” became acting village president of Willowbrook. After serving for 11 years as a trustee, Napoli received a unanimous vote by the village board to complete the term of Village President Gary Pretzer, who resigned and moved to Arizona.

This isn’t the first time Napoli was called on to accept a position of leadership. He was appointed to fill a vacant trustee position in 1997. He has been re-elected in all subsequent elections. For Napoli, serving as trustee means ringing doorbells, getting to know residents and listening to their concerns. Ringing our doorbell is the way that he — and later, wife Carolyn — became friends of the family.

“I’ve always been a no. 2 person. I’ve always been behind the scenes to make sure things ran smoothly,” Napoli said. “I was the no. 2 man at the Chicago Park District. That was a $100 million operation with 3,600 employees and 500 parks. As the administrative aid to the Board of Commissioners, I was the facilitator who made sure policy flowed fluidly from the board to the staff.”

Napoli was born and raised in the Roseland and Pullman neighborhoods of Chicago. His father, Alexander, was chief judge of the Cook County Criminal Court, the first Italian-American appointed to the Federal bench in Chicago. His mother, Helen, was a nurse. Napoli attended Mendel Catholic High School and received his Bachelor of Science degree in political science and history from Loyola University.

After graduating from Mendel in 1958, Napoli met his future wife at Giovanni’s Pizzeria. Carolyn, a retired librarian, and Bob have since expanded their family with three children and seven grandchildren.

“I wondered what was a good Irish girl doing at an Italian restaurant?” Napoli laughed. “It turned out that Carolyn was there with an Italian girl, and I was there with an Irish guy. We’ve been married for 48 years.”

From his Chicago roots to his 13-year Willowbrook residency, Napoli has worn the hard hat of a construction worker, written on chalkboards as a teacher and went to bat for the Chicago Park District. Napoli works as a real estate appraiser at his office in Burr Ridge. He is a member of the Willowbrook/ Burr Ridge Kiwanis Club and the Willowbrook/ Burr Ridge Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he is active member of the Mendel Catholic High School Alumni Association.

“I am not and never will be a politician. Basically, what I am is a citizen volunteer,” Napoli said. “I would never have taken the position as village president if the board of trustees didn’t approve of me taking the position and if I didn’t think I could fulfill the presidential responsibilities.”

In addition to his work with service organizations, Napoli performs acts of kindness with his wife on a regular basis. In 2007 the Napolis organized the Support Our Troops program with the Chamber of Commerce and the Village Hall. This effort is dear to their hearts since the Napolis’ grandson, 20-year-old Vincent Napoli, is a Marine lance corporal who served one tour of duty in Iraq and is preparing for his second tour possibly in Afghanistan.

“That was basically Carolyn’s doing along with (Willowbrook Police Chief) Ed Konstanty,” Napoli said. “They put it together, and I got involved. We collected, packaged, paid and shipped a total of 211 boxes of toiletries and treats for our local servicemen and women stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan for Christmas. We’re starting Support Our Troops (efforts) again on Oct. 1.”

Faith forms an important foundation for Napoli’s life.

“My parents and my wife always said, ‘Whatever you do, just do a good job, and the rest will fall into place,’” he said. “You have to have faith and hope and keep your eyes open. It all comes out in the end.”

The Napolis are active members of Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church in Darien and frequently attend morning Masses, greeting parishioners and strangers along the route.

“Recently, I saw a man at church with a walker. After Mass, I asked him how he felt, so he told me about his recent surgery. When I stop at Caribou for a cup of coffee, I talk with the young man behind the counter,” Napoli said. “A lot of people don’t take the time to talk with people. No one says hello to elderly people anymore. No one stops to listen to them.”

Rather than concentrating on being no. 1, Napoli favors a team approach in his presidential role. He values each trustee on the village board.

“I’ve talked with Gary a lot through the years. I think he’s usually made the right decisions, and so has the board. I think we’ve made the right decisions by providing income and services at the lowest possible cost,” Napoli said. “This was just exemplified when Standard & Poor gave our village a Double AA credit rating, which is the highest rating a small community can receive, for bonds for the service facility we’re building.

“Trustee (Timothy) McMahon, head of the finance committee, made sure everything was set up. Trustee (Michael) Mistele is an architect who oversaw the development of the new public services garage being constructed,” he added. “Dennis Baker is a retired Cook County Sheriff’s lieutenant with 30 years of police experience. He oversees the public safety department. He comes up with cost-saving decisions.”

Willowbrook’s other trustees have contributed much to the community as well, Napoli said, adding that he is thankful for the village’s talent pool.

“I think what we have is a great community that has been well-managed,” he added. “And we’re going to try to improve upon that as board members and as president.”