Former School Treasurer Dies Mysteriously At 58

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — A former longtime school treasurer, accused of stealing more than $600,000 from the Northwest Suburban Montessori School in Arlington Heights, has died. Robert C. Walberg, 58, of Arlington Heights, died on June 1, according to an obituary from Lauterburg-Oehler Funeral Home in Arlington Heights.

Court documents show Walberg was charged in October 2019 with theft, securities violations, wire fraud and investment advisement fraud for operating a Ponzi scheme and defrauding 20 investors, including Northwest Suburban Montessori School, out of $5.5 million. Walberg's children were students at the school. He used about $2 million of those funds for personal expenses. He is accused of funneling $733,000 toward credit card bills and paid for home improvements, bought groceries and used the funds to cover his car loan and country club payments.

The Deerfield Police Department found Walberg unresponsive at a hotel June 1, where he later died mysteriously, reports Patch media partner, WBBM-TV (CBS 2 Chicago). Patch has reached out to the Lake County Coroner's Office for an official cause of death.

Northwest Suburban Montessori school set up a GoFundMe in an attempt to recover some of the lost funds. As of Thursday night, the account for Northwest Suburban Montessori has raised $20,885 of its $75,000 goal.

Walberg was born Dec. 2, 1961 in Evanston, according to the obituary. He was the beloved husband of Tammy L. (Howland) Walberg; loving father of Charles, William, Emily, Olivia, Sofia and Matthew Walberg; devoted son of Milton and the late Joan (Raleigh) Walberg; dear brother of Richard (Barb) Walberg and the late Kathy Walberg; fond son-in-law of Janice and the late Dennis Howland; dear brother-in-law of Kelly (late Brad) Austing, Stacy (Pete) Pacilio and Mike (Shannon) Howland and fond uncle of many nieces and nephews. Family and friends gathered on June 10 at St. James Church in Arlington Heights for a memorial Mass. Interment was private. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the St. James Tuition Assistance Fund, according to the obituary.