Attended New Trier East

From the Windy City Times:

Van Hulle Remembrance April 12 2007-04-11

There will be a celebration of the life of Rene Van Hulle—a.k.a. Fabiola the Great Buckingham Fontaine, Baroness II and Empress II—on April 12 at the nightspot 3160, 3160 N. Clark, at 8 p.m. Van Hulle, a member of the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame and a longtime activist, passed away Feb. 27 at the age of 53. A native Chicagoan, he worked as a bartender, owner and/or manager of several clubs, including Annex 3 ( now 3160 ) and Little Jim's. Since 1980, Van Hulle was also an integral part of the fundraising organization known as the Imperial Windy City Court of the Prairie State Empire. According to a release from the empire, the April 12 event will be 'an evening celebrating the life and honorable deeds of our beloved friend and companion.'

PASSAGES: Rene A. Van Hulle, Jr.
2007-03-07
_________

Rene Van Hulle, a member of the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame and a longtime activist, passed away Feb. 27. He was 53.

Since the 1970s, he has been vigorously active in community organizations and instrumental in many of their fund-raising projects, according to his Hall of Fame biography. He co-founded the Tavern Guild of Chicago and did everything from raise community center funds to support Chicago House.

A native Chicagoan, Van Hulle worked as a bartender, owner and/or manager of several nightspots, including The Lucky Horseshoe, Annex 3 ( now 3160 ) and Little Jim's.

Van Hulle was asked to be a marshal for the 1977 Anita Bryant protest rally at Medinah Temple. That involvement ultimately led him to become a delegate to the then-recently formed Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Metropolitan Chicago.

After the murder of fellow bartender Frank Rodde in 1977, Tavern Guild a building fund in Rodde's name to establish a community center. Van Hulle served on its founding board and helped to raise more than $120,000.

n the early years of Gay Chicago magazine, Van Hulle wrote a gossip column under the pseudonym Heidi Snoop. He also enjoyed bowling and softball.

Van Hulle was an integral part of the fund-raising organization known as the Imperial Windy City Court of the Prairie State Empire ( of which he was a part of since 1980 ) , having most recently reigned as Empress II Fabiola.

In 2000, Van Hulle was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame.

Van Hulle was the beloved son of Rene A. Sr. and Helene J. ( Onbekent ) ; cherished brother of Christine ( Giorgio ) Bernardi, Laurie Van Hulle and Evelyn ( Christopher ) Fardoux; loving uncle of Alison ( Goddaughter ) , Philip and Clark Stanton and Emily and Ethan Fardoux; and dearest friend of Dean Hild. Van Hulle was preceded in death by his life partner, Kenneth E. Johnson.

Send donations to Broadway Youth Center, c/o Howard Brown Ctr., Attn: Development Office, 4025 N. Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL 60613.