Michael
Houlihan, like his parents Jackie and Ray and their parents before, is a
life-long resident of Bridgeport.
He attended Nativity of Our Lord grammar school, DeLaSalle Institute and went
on to spend a year at Carthage College, although he claims to have been there
for 4 ½ semesters.He was a standout
football player at Nativity as well as DeLaSalle.While at DLS, he claims to have been timed at
4.35 seconds in the 40-yard dash.This
would be quite a feat if it could be verified.But to date, we are unable to find any player, coach or any human being
who actually witnessed it.(Nice try
Near!)
In
1995, Near coached the Nativity grammar school football team to it’s first and
only Catholic Conference Championship in the 140 year
history
of the parish.This was a great
accomplishment for Near, although it depicts Nativity as the Cubs of grammar
school football.But we’re all waiting
for 2049, when the Cubs take sole possession of the “Biggest Losers of
All-Time” award.
Michael
is also an honorary member of the Shinnick’s Pub bartenders “Hall of
Fame”.He would be an actual member if
he had actually shown up.His debut
behind the bar never materialized because of his decision to lead a contingent
of loyal and devoted Shinnick’s Pub faithful to the Milwaukee Irish Fest,
completely forgetting his bartending responsibilities and making this the only
Saturday since 1938 that Shinnick’s Pub was closed.Near gained a reprival when the Pub crew took
a road trip to Miami
for a Monday night football game.Near
lead the crew to an Irish bar on SouthBeach where we watched
the Sunday NFL games.He commanded every
TV and supplied all with unlimited line cards for every game. He also ran the beer kitty that easily went
through 30-35 cases of Miller Lite!
Near
became a member of Local 7, the Stationary Fireman Union.He subsequently joined Local 73 Sheet Metal
Workers.His favorite things are hanging
out with his friends and watching College football on Saturdays.His favorite saying is “It sure helps when
you have some action!”
At
6’ 10”, Frank is by far the tallest story in the bar.He is the oldest of Frank and Marie
Kaminsky’s 5 children.Frank is a great
athlete in any sport he chooses, a tough but fair competitor in everything he
does.He has been blessed with many
talents, and has always used them to the best of his ability.One of these talents, which many people
aren’t familiar with, is music.When you
think of young singing groups, New
Jersey normally comes to mind.But in the 70’s, Frank and his group, “Smokey
Pearl & the Van Cleevers”, could be
heard harmonizing around the 28th can, in the alley behind 35th
and Union.This was a popular drinking spot for them.Frank was the lead vocalist, while Terry,
Richie and Half-Pint would provide backup and choreography.One night, when their harmony drew the
attention of Chicago’s
finest, they bolted through a gangway to get away.The Van Cleevers led the way, passing under
an unnoticed window air-conditioner with no problem.Frank wasn’t so lucky.
Like many guys from the
area, Frank has had a brilliant 16-inch softball career.He played with such teams as the original
Union Army, the Monsters and the Stickmen.At first base, with his sure hands and wingspan, he helped a lot of
infielders look good.But he was at home
in right field.It has been said that Frank is 1/3 of the greatest
outfield, in the history of 16-inch softball.I happen to agree with that, although the debate continues, and I’m
usually in the middle of it.Of all the
great softball memories that Frank has, there is one that he relives over and
over.It’s the catch made off of a Lukey
Capuano shot to center field.But, that
wasn’t Frank’s catch and that story is for another “Someone You Should
Know”.
Frank’s
basketball career began at St. Rita High School, and he went on to become one
of the most prolific players in LewisUniversity
basketball history.He was selected as
an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American his senior year in 1976-77 and the MVP
of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference his final two seasons.In each of his last two years as a Flyer,
Frank averaged 23.5 points per game, which are the second-highest season totals
in Lewis' 54-year history. His 1,521 points scored in his four-year career
(19.3 ppg) rank him sixth on the team's all-time list.He was inducted into Lewis' Athletic Hall of
Fame in 1992.He spent several years as
a professional in South America
, while simultaneously competing with former college and professional players
on the AAU team, Marathon Oil. During his 15-year stay with Marathon Oil, which
played worldwide, he helped his teams capture two national tournaments as well
as two Amateur Basketball Association/USA National Tournaments. The only sour note to Frank’s
career was his being banned for life from the Hamburg A.A. basketball league
due to his professional status, but if you ask me, he was snubbed because he
could make a left-handed layup.
Frank lives in Lisle,
has three children - Kaylee, Frankie and Hannah.He is currently the head coach of the University
of St. Francis women’s basketball squad, but who knows how far he’d be if it
weren’t for that air conditioner.
It's
been almost a year since we updated our "Someone You Should Know"
page.This is due more to my laziness,
than the lack of candidates to write about.There are enough characters in the bar to create a sitcom that would
rival "Cheers".The one I'm
writing about today is actually more like John Larroquette's character in
"Night Court".I'm talking
about Jimmy O'Hara.Jim is an attorney
who, in his earlier years, worked as a Public Defender at the Cook County Courthouse.His specialty now is medical malpractice and
personal injury.A more caring person
would be hard to find.Who else would go
out of their way to drive by the bar each day, just to see if anyone got hurt
at work?His work in the medical
malpractice area has actually made him a valuable resource.Simply put, when it comes to doctors, he
knows who's good and who's not.Believe
me, his insight has helped several people in the bar.Jim's dad, Jim "Dinny" O'Hara, grew
up in Bridgeport.He was a member of the Hamburg Club and the
neighborhood minstrel singers.Singing
is one of those talents that skips a generation.His mom, Dolores, was one of those special
people that you can't say enough about.This trait skips no generations.Jim has done many things in his life to be proud of.Marrying Julia is number one.She’s beautiful, smart, witty, proving
opposites do attract.His daughter
Crissy Roberts is another.He lights up,
just talking about her (her husband Rich best
remember, we are all watching him closely).With St. Pat's Day just a few weeks away, we
know we'll be seeing them all, along with Jim's sisters Mary Lee, Dolores and
Maret, who try to celebrate St. Pat's with us every year.So if you're not too busy this March 17th,
stop in for a beer with the O'Hara clan.But you can also catch Jim on most Fridays, when he and Bill Chamberlin
hold their meeting of the H-Club.They
are the last surviving members.
If
you’ve ever wondered who the first person to start the “Na na na na” chant at SoxPark
was, it was our own Pat Fitzpatrick.Pat
can be found in Shinnick's most days after work.He's the only son of Joan and Pat
"Pappa" Fitz Sr..He has said
that the best things in his life are his wife Diane and their four kids, Jennifer,
Tricia, Patrick and Kelly.He's been a
member of the Chicago Fire Department for over 26 years.After family, his friends are the most
important thing in his life.Besides
having a good time with his friends at Shinnick's, his favorite things are
vacations, going out to eat, and watching Kelly play volleyball (even though he
gets mad when she's not in the front line).He's been a mainstay at the Pub for many years.He always respected and had fun with our Dad,
who gave him his nickname, "Bondo".After giving our Dad a hot horse (that's still running), Big G told him
he was nothing but "Bum Dope".“Bum Dope” soon turned into Bondo.Pat sponsored a hole at the GWS Golf Outing every year that it was
held.When in Shinnick's, his favorite
five words are "Get it out of me".Pat is famous for the holiday parties he throws, where he cooks skirt
steaks and other foods to feed half the neighborhood.He was voted "Rookie of the Year"
and MVP at last years Kentucky Derby Trip, where he easily put the guys from
the younger generation in their place.When Pat is in Shinnick's, two things are guaranteed, he’ll buy you a
drink and he won't listen to a word you say.
"Nicest
guy I've ever met""None
better""What a great guy"
We all know men who fit
this description.We are extremely
lucky.We've been blessed with several
in our family.Grandpa Mike Dougherty and
Uncle Jimmy Connors are two who are, without a doubt, second to none.And now we have the brother-in-law Mike
Flynn, Michaelene O'Flynn if you will.The first time we saw Mike, he was playing center field for the 49ers
Club at BoycePark.His head was shaved.For years,
we thought he was a marine.We later
discovered that the shaving was done at the Club on a $101 bet.Mike played baseball and basketball for Mount Carmel, and is still faithful to the Caravan, even
though his son Pat saw the light and played for De La Salle (but that was part
of the marriage agreement).Mike's a
natural athlete.He's the kind of guy
who never skied, and then went on a ski trip and didn't fall, until he was in
the bar later.In the fall of 2003, Mike
was inducted into the Chicago
16 inch softball hall-of-fame.He has
been with the Chicago Fire Department for almost 25 years.He is also a master carpenter and senior
partner of Flynnick Construction.Take a
look at the pictures of our bar, to see some of his work.But most importantly, like Grandpa Dougherty
and Uncle Jimmy, Mike is a true gentleman and loved by all.
Elmer
is truly the George Bailey of Shinnick's. If friends are the tool by
which we measure success, he's our CEO. Elmer spent 4 years at WesternIllinoisUniversity
learning how to work one side of the bar. Now he works the other side for
us. He has been one of our valued bartenders for nearly 15 years.
The reason is not so much his great ability as a bartender, but more so his
tendency to draw a crowd. Coming from a neighborhood well-known for its
fine athletes, Elmer fits right in. His sports career peaked in 1978 as a
member of the Hamburg A.A. championship Blue Team. But the highlight of
his life, (next to his family), is his work. He has spent his entire
adult life working with special education children. He started the
"Elmer's Kids" Fund which allows his students an overnight stay
downtown, uniforms and more, leading up to their participation in the Special
Olympics. There are givers and takers in life .... Elmer never stops
giving.
Edgar
has been a patron of Shinnick's longer than anyone we know. He became a
regular upon his return from duty with the Marines during World War II.
After a long career as a City of Chicago
Firefighter, he is now able to make daily visits, to
ensure that we are doing things correctly. He is known as the second
smartest man in the pub, next to Duke. His advice normally goes something
like this: "There are two ways to do that, the right way and YOUR
way, ya horse's ass!". We love you, Edgar.
Edgar Fitzpatrick
