2026 Inductees

Grant Community High School is pleased to announce the selection of Mr. Rich Becmer and Mr. Lee Oler, posthumously, to the Hall of Fame.

Rich Becmer graduated from GCHS in the Class of 1971. As a student, Rich excelled academically, served as Senior Class President and Student Council Vice President, and quickly earned a reputation for his natural ability to lead and his willingness to serve others.  As a proud Bulldog, Rich was a four-year member of both the football and wrestling teams, serving as team captain during his senior year, and also played baseball for two years. Beyond athletics, he participated in Student Government Day, served as a dean's aide, and volunteered on numerous school committees.  After graduation, Rich invested himself in the next generation by coaching softball, baseball, and football for the Lakeland Cardinals and the Grant Bulldogs. As president of the Cardinals for more than a decade, he helped shape opportunities for countless young athletes. He also served on the executive board of what is now GTAAA and helped build the baseball complex and concession stand at Veterans Park, as well as the original Paul G. Lewis Blockhouse at Grant's stadium.    He served on the planning committee for the St. Bede Faith Formation Center and proposed relocating the Fox Lake Village Hall from the police station to its current central location—a vision that has benefited the community ever since. In 1975, at just 21 years old, Rich made history by becoming the youngest person in the State of Illinois to be elected to a high school Board of Education. During two separate tenures totaling 16 years, he helped guide the future of GCHS, giving back to the very school that helped shape him. That same year, Rich was sworn in as a Fox Lake Police Officer, beginning a distinguished 30-year career in law enforcement. Through hard work, integrity, and dedication, he rose through the ranks of Sergeant, Lieutenant, and ultimately Deputy Chief of Police in 2003. For 18 years, he served as the department's lead juvenile officer and child abuse investigator, advocating for children and families during some of their most difficult moments.  During his time in law enforcement, Rich introduced the D.A.R.E. program, established the Teen Court program,  became GCHS’s first School Resource Officer, and earned the Lake County Juvenile Officers Association Officer of the Year Award twice.  When Rich retired from the Fox Lake Police Department in 2005, he joined Waukegan School District as their Educational Safety Specialist, where he developed district-wide safety protocols that continue to protect students and staff.  In 2009, Rich began teaching Criminal Justice at the Lake County Technology campus, helping build an exceptional program that inspired hundreds of students to pursue careers in public service.  In recognition of his passion for teaching and mentorship, he was named Most Inspirational Teacher in 2015. Even after retiring from teaching in 2020, Rich hasn't stopped serving. Today, he continues to volunteer at Prince of Peace Catholic Church through the Formation and Education Commission, the Mental Health Ministry, and the Parish Council.  For more than five decades, Rich has worn many titles—student, athlete, coach, police officer, deputy chief, school board member, teacher, mentor, husband, father, and Grandpa.  But through every chapter, one thing has remained constant: his commitment to serving others and the Fox Lake community.  That is the legacy of a true Grant Bulldog.  For his incredible dedication to the Grant community, Rich is more than deserving of this Grant Community High School Hall of Fame recognition.

Lee Oler graduated from GCHS in the Class of 1968. Lee was a second-generation GCHS graduate, with both of his parents having also attended.  Lee was a standout basketball player during his four years at Grant, serving as a varsity player for three of those seasons. Known for his remarkable outside shot, he set the school record as high scorer prior to the introduction of the three-point line and graduated as Lake County’s all-time leading scorer with 1,798 points. He was named a three-time All-Conference selection, All-County in 1967 and 1968, and All-State in 1968. In his senior year, he led the team to both District and Regional Championships and a Sectional berth. Lee went on to earn an Education degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he played four years of Division I basketball for the Badgers, earned Big Ten All-Academic honors in 1972, and finished his career ranked among the top 25 scorers in Badger history. He went on to play professionally internationally in Mexico and Australia for a year. Returning to Lake County, Lee spent 33 years as a Physical Education teacher at Wauconda High School, where he also coached basketball and golf. Outside of school, he competed in AAU Basketball from 1975 to 1985, earning AAU All-American honors in 1980. His athletic legacy earned him inductions into both the College of Lake County Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2005. After retiring in 2006, Lee remained dedicated to youth sports by volunteering as a coach for the Grant Community High School boys' basketball team and assisting with basketball camps. Following his passing in September 2017, Grant Community High School posthumously dedicated its fieldhouse court in his honor in February 2018. Additionally, in August 2018, the Village of Fox Lake honorarily renamed Meade Ct., where he resided most of his life, to Lee M. Oler Ct. It is only fitting that he be recognized by the Grant Community High School Hall of Fame, where his celebrated basketball career first began.

The families of Rich Becmer and Lee Oler will take part in several homecoming activities, including a reception in their honor on September 24, 2026, an all-school pep assembly, the varsity football game, and the homecoming parade.

Please join us for the following homecoming activities to recognize our Hall of Fame recipients:

• Thursday, September 24, 2026 – a reception will be held to honor the inductees in the auditorium lobby from 6:30 – 7:00 p.m., immediately followed by the Board of Education meeting in the auditorium to formally recognize the induction. 
• Friday, September 25, 2026 – the inductees will be recognized at an all-school pep assembly that begins at 12:30 p.m. in the field house and at the beginning of the varsity football game in the evening.
• Saturday, September 26, 2026 – the inductees will take part in leading the Homecoming Parade at 9:00 a.m.