SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — One family of a longtime volunteer at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is honoring his dedication with a big donation.

Longtime volunteer for the museum Jack Navins died suddenly last year at the age of 73. Now his sisters, Mary Pat Wlazik and Kitty Warner, are donating $100,000 in his name to the museum.

His sisters, as well as Warner’s husband Dan, all said Navins loved volunteering for the museum.

“He got such a kick out of greeting the buses and the tours,” they said. “He loved sharing his knowledge, and he always did it with genuine enthusiasm. Jack never acted like he was reciting from a script.”

The museum estimates that Navins gave nearly 4,500 service hours to the museum over the span of 17 years.

“Everyone knew and respected Jack,” Christina Shutt, executive director of the ALPLM, said. “We are touched that his family wants to honor his memory by supporting the work of the ALPLM.”

“He was helpful to each visitor, whether he was conversing with a scholar who wanted to know about the intricacies of Lincoln’s life or a small child who was learning about this great man for the first time,” Jeremy Carrell, the volunteer services director at ALPLM, added. “That was the Jack we all knew and loved.”

Jack Navins volunteering for the museum. Courtesy: ALPLM

The money will go towards a children’s exhibit on the importance of being a good citizen and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

“He would be so excited to be part of creating an exhibit that, for years to come, will encourage children to follow Abraham Lincoln’s example and make the world a better place,” Navins’ sisters said.