“Having a family member (or friend) with you on a special occasion makes for an extraordinary memory; without a family member on that occasion it makes for unforgettable regret.”
Tom Kennedy
In the course of a lifetime, one is lucky to be in the presence of outstanding people. Having worked alongside those who were superb human beings both in Joliet area and in Colorado, I can say that they have enabled me to be a better person.
Anyone acquainted with Pat Sullivan, Tony Delgado, and Gordie Gillespie would know that they are exceptional people. But to have been lifelong friends and colleagues with them would qualify me as one of the luckiest people in the world. My long-term friendships with some colleagues in Colorado, although shorter-lived, have also been powerful.
Adding to my great fortune is the fact that family members also have been involved in being with these comrades over time. Fact of the matter is that my kids have gleaned additional attributes about these friends that I had overlooked or underestimated.
Best of the Best
There have been other brief, almost ephemeral, occasions when I have been with people that I long admired from a distance, men that I regarded as the finest in their respective fields. My meetings with them happened within a short period of time while living in Wilmington.
John Wooden
Coach Wooden’s basketball teams at UCLA won ten NCAA national championships over a twelve-year period including seven in a row. His teams once won 88 consecutive games, also a record. These records will never be matched. (See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wooden)
The Coach was invited to be a speaker one evening at the College of St. Francis about 1980 and he also made time for an afternoon appearance as well. Coach Pat Sullivan invited me to meet with him at Pat’s house during the in-between time. But the best part was the chance to have my kids talk with him briefly at CSF while getting his autograph.
During the brief reception before Coach’s evening presentation, I had invited Wilmington neighbor Lou Bottino, former Reed-Custer H.S. principal and basketball coach, to the College and chat with Wooden. Both Lou and John were Indiana natives, and it was a joy to observe the two of them reminisce about their mutual time in that great basketball state.
It is noteworthy that Lou coached the 1938 Braidwood basketball team to a 2nd place finish in the Illinois Basketball high school tournament during an era when the tourney had only one division. (see: https://basketballmuseumofillinois.com/hall-of-fame/teams/21-hof-teams/444-1937-38-braidwood-reed-custer-high-school-boys-team)
Ted Williams
Williams is regarded as the best hitter of all time. Remember that his baseball career was interrupted not once, but twice. He flew in WWII and the Korean Conflict. (See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Williams
As a former assistant baseball to Gordie, I was invited to attend a hitting clinic for Chicago area high school and college coaches in 1980. I had my boys with me as we listened to Ted talk about and demonstrate his theories of hitting. He was superb.
Afterwards, he joined several of us in the lobby area of the hotel where he continued his dialogue about hitting while responding to questions from a handful of loyal disciples. My kids, Eric (8), Bob (10) and John (11) mingled among the circled coaches while Ted expostulated his theories. Ted probably was oblivious of the boys as they repeatedly handed him blank note cards, Ted Williams’ baseball cards, and baseballs for his autograph, gems that they would value for the rest of their lives.
Mel Blanc
The man of a “thousand voices” had been invited to give a presentation at the College of St. Francis in 1979 (?). As the word was passed around the College, I became aware that my favorite Looney Tunes voice genius would need transportation to the airport and to be chauffeured while he was in Joliet for two days. Of course, I jumped at the chance. (See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Blanc)
My brother Ken had access to his father-in-law’s Caddie, a more appropriate vehicle than what I had at the time, so it was my brother and I that had the privilege of spending time with a most fascinating human being. Mel talked constantly and told jokes, using various voices during our time in the car.
But it was at Al’s Steakhouse for dinner when he was most interesting. No one in the restaurant recognized this great talent until Porky Pig requested a cup of t-t-t-t-coffee after the meal. At this point, the diners got the idea and we all burst out laughing.
They were great, but…
It was unforgettable to be able to meet Coach John, Ted, and Mel, three of the most talented human beings in my life. As grateful as I am to have had these opportunities, they all rank a distant second to my long and most cherished relationships with the aforementioned friends and colleagues.
Braidwood Beginnings 