A real solid, stand up guy

OBITUARY

John J. Kinnane

DECEMBER 16, 1943 – AUGUST 30, 2026

John J. Kinnane, the original “Wild Colonial Boy”, passed away peacefully at home, on August 30th, at the age of 82. He was born on December 16th, 1943, and raised on the South Side of Chicago; a truer

Tom Donovan R.I.P.

Helped lots of people over the years. Wake is at Sheehy's this Friday

  

A Smart MF

FedEx founder and former boss Fred Smith dies aged 80




Fred Smith, founder of the US parcel delivery giant Federal Express, has died at the age of 80, the company has announced.

Mr Smith founded the firm in 1973 having previously served in the US Marine Corps. He ran the company as CEO until 2022.

"Fred was more than just the pioneer of an industry and the founder of our great company. He was the heart and soul of FedEx," current boss Raj Subramaniam wrote in a memo to staff.

Born in 1944, Mr Smith started FedEx with 389 staff and 14 small planes that carried 186 packages from Memphis to 25 cities within the US.

FedEx now has more than 500,000 employees across the globe and delivers millions of packages a day.

Its operations involve 705 aircraft and 200,000 vehicles, according to its website.

"He was a mentor to many and a source of inspiration to all. He was also a proud father, grandfather, husband, Marine, and friend," Mr Subramaniam said.

Mr Smith joined the US Marine Corps as a second lieutenant after graduating from Yale University.

He served two tours in Vietnam and was awarded medals for bravery and wounds received in combat before leaving the military as a captain in 1969.

Mr Smith used a business theory he came up with while at Yale to create what is now known as a hub and spoke delivery system.

A Great Lady

Misericordia's Sister Rosemary Connelly has died at 94; 'She saw our kids as people, not as disabilities' She built Misericordia into a model residence for Chicagoans with developmental challenges.
By Neil Steinberg
Jun 20, 2025, 7:34am CDT




Sister Rosemary Connelly in 2021 at her home in West Rogers Park.

Catholic women who got pregnant out of wedlock in Chicago 100 years ago would quietly disappear into the Misericordia Maternity Hospital and Home for Infants on 47th Street to bear their illegitimate babies under the care of the Sisters of Mercy, joined by indigent married women and those “of foreign birth or parentage.”

One of the nicest guys in MLB

Chet Lemon, White Sox All-Star and World Series hero with the Tigers, dies at 70
Lemon played in the majors from 1975 to 1990, making his debut with the White Sox at 20. He spent the last nine years of his career, beginning in 1982, with the Tigers.
By USA Today Network
May 8, 2025, 2:52pm CDT




Former White Sox and Tigers outfielder Chet Lemon has died at age 70.

Former major-league center fielder Chet Lemon, a member of the 1984 World Series champion Detroit Tigers and and All-Star while with the White Sox, died May 8 at his home in Apopka, Florida.

He was 70 years old.

“He was sleeping on his reclining sofa,” Gigi Lemon, his wife, said. “He just wasn’t responsive.”

George Wendt R.I.P.

 

Tom Hayes R.I.P.

Thomas Hayes, former pro boxer who helped kids at Leo High School, others, has died at 43
The former fighter whose biggest victory was seen on ESPN would order dozens of cheeseburgers from McDonald’s and drive around the South Side to pass them out to people in need, according to his wife.
By Mitch Dudek
Mar 27, 2025, 5:30am CDT




Thomas Hayes and his wife Veronica Hayes.

Thomas Hayes could knock you out with a punch or an act of kindness. The former heavyweight boxer from the South Side deployed the “peek-a-boo” boxing style made famous by Mike Tyson.

Mr. Hayes, whose pro record was 26-2, even traveled to New York to train under Kevin Rooney,

George Foreman R.I.P.

 

George Edward Foreman (January 10, 1949 – March 21, 2025) was an American professional boxer, businessman, minister and author. In boxing, he competed between 1967 and 1997 and was nicknamed "Big George". He was a two-time world heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medalist. As an entrepreneur, he was known for the George Foreman Grill.^[2]

After a troubled childhood, Foreman took up amateur boxing and won a gold medal in the heavyweight division at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Having turned professional the next year, he won the world heavyweight title with a stunning second-round knockout of the then-undefeated Joe Frazier in 1973. He defended the belt twice before suffering his first professional loss to Muhammad Ali in the Rumble in the Jungle in 1974.^[3] Unable to secure another title opportunity, Foreman retired after a loss to Jimmy Young in 1977.

Patricia Daley Martino R.I.P.

Daley family mourns passing of eldest member, Patricia Daley Martino — who stressed ‘faith, family and fun’
The daughter of one mayor and sister to another, Mrs. Martino “had extraordinary experiences,” Monsignor Kenneth Velo said. “And yet ... she was ordinary. She was down to earth.”
By David Struett
Mar 14, 2024, 6:32pm CDT





Pallbearers carry the casket to the hearse for Patricia Daley Martino after her funeral at Old St. Patrick’s Church, Thursday. The oldest child of the late Mayor Richard J. Daley and sister of former Mayor Richard M. Daley, Mrs. Martino, 86, died Saturday.

Family paid tribute Thursday to the tough-but-loving and always curious Patricia Daley Martino, who had been the eldest member of the storied Daley family.

The daughter of one mayor and sister to another, Mrs. Martino "had extraordinary experiences," Monsignor Kenneth Velo told mourners at her funeral Mass. "And yet ... she was ordinary. She was down to earth."

Jack Higgins, R.I.P. Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist

He skewered local and national politicians alike, satirized scandals and offered poignant and absurd takes on city life and ills.




Jack Higgins (pictured at his home studio in 2006) was described by his sister as someone who “could look at anything and find humor.”

Pulitzer Prize-winning Sun-Times cartoonist Jack Higgins knew the power of the pen.

"Political cartoons are meant to take the mighty and the pompous and cut them down to a more manageable size. Afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted," he once wrote about his job.

He skewered local and national politicians alike, satirized scandals and offered poignant and absurd takes on city life and ills, especially gun violence.

Bobby Knight R.I.P.

 

Nello Sabatini R.I.P.