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The Family Fitzpatrick a keepsake from Memoir for Me

To those rowdy Fitz kids from South Shore Merry Christmas keep the laughs coming Edward Moe Fitzpatrick

It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength Maya Angelou

Fitzpatrick Family 1942 Thomas James Gibby Fitzpatrick and Mary Elizabeth Farrell a salesman and a schoolteacher respectively were married on August 12th 1933 and settled into a home at 7155 S Oglesby in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago Gibby and Mary Fitzpatrick had four children Frances Thomas Roberta and John Their lively home often included grandparents and even a few aunts for a time a total of 10 people under one roof From this experience the Fitzpatrick kids would remain very close through the years despite going on to lead very different lives This is their story 5

Frances b June 16 1935 Frances Mary Fitzpatrick celebrated 60 years as an Adrian Dominican Sister in September of 2015 If you call her Sister she will not correct you but she does not expect the title I once gave a calling card to my brother John and he asked why no Sister title I told him I notice your card doesn t say Mister To family I m Aunt Frances or even Fran or Frannie She also celebrated a milestone birthday in 2015 turning 80 in June Her sister Robbie threw a party for her It was grand We had three generations of family represented including my siblings as well as nieces nephews greatnieces and great nephews This grateful and relatable personality has served Frances well in her many roles through the years The process of becoming an Adrian Dominican Sister took time Her first year was challenging And it wasn t the orientation to religious life that shook her It was her age Even at only 19 she was one of the older girls in her class After three days I was ready to come home I don t know what I was expecting but it was not what I expected Frances taught 7th and 8th graders in Ypsilanti Michigan and other locations around the state for the next 13 years In 1973 Frances moved to Florida and served as principal of Holy Family School in St Petersburg for 15 years 6 Frances 9 days old 1935 Sister Frances Fitzpatrick OP

Frances with her mom at Holy Family School in St Petersburg I didn t mind the heat at all but would come home for Christmas and just froze to death I didn t buy a winter coat until I came to back to Chicago In 1988 Frances was referred by a friend for a unique opening back in her hometown of Chicago Assistant Superintendent for the Archdiocese of Chicago Schools I loved this job I did a bit of everything supporting schools all over the city and suburbs It also gave me the opportunity to be engaged in the mission and ministry of the Adrian Dominicans based upon our Vision We Dominican Preachers of Adrian impelled by the Gospel and outraged by the injustices of our day seek truth make peace reverence life Her work with the Archdiocese varied daily from helping with school evaluations conferring with pastors and answering policy questions I worked with 8 or 9 Adrian Dominican Sisters who were principals in the schools that I served I thought that might be difficult They were professionals who didn t expect to be treated differently from any of the other principals It was a privilege to work with them Frances retired in 2009 but still works part time for the Archdiocese 7

Things have changed tremendously In the 80 s we used to have 200 000 kids in schools and now we have about 90 000 It s difficult to meet the rising expenses of Catholic education including salaries for school personnel Teachers consider teaching in a Catholic school as a vocation They don t stay for the money Frances views her own vocation and membership in the Fitzpatrick clan as a blessing Growing up in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago was another gift with plenty of friends and resources within reach They lived in close proximity to downtown Chicago and the lakefront Growing up I thought everyone had access to the beach Frances also had plentiful access to culture My friends and I would head downtown on the IC Illinois Central now Metra Rail with no adults or we d get on our bikes and ride to the Museum of Science and Industry or the Shedd Aquarium My favorite was the Chicago Public Library I loved the quiet and the smell of books Frances parents Thomas and Mary raised her and the rest of the Fitzpatrick siblings to be independent and responsible but also stressed that they represented the family and the community I remember being able to make decisions at a young age There were never constraints put on what we could do At a young age Frances remembers seeing the sisters around the neighborhood and being very curious about them 8 Frances with her dad 1936 Frances with her parents 1955

Frances 1935 We would see them walking to the beach They were out and about and laughing having a good time There was just something about them In 8th grade at St Philip Neri School one of the sisters asked Frances to help clean the vigil lights While working they started talking about what it means to be a religious sister and Frances was invited to a high school prep program for those interested in a religious life Frances mentioned it to her mom who in turn went to their local priest Fr Barron for advice Fr Barron urged Mary to hold off so she could finish high school But instead of joining a religious community after 12th grade Frances wanted to go to college Many years later my mom shared with me that she thought she took the opportunity away from me She worried she had interfered with God s plan She came to realize that indeed she had not After a year away attending Loretto Heights College in Denver Colorado Frances heard the call Her parents were thrilled and relieved They were always so supportive My father was thrilled to death He was educated by the Adrian Dominicans at St Kilian School in Chicago 9

But not everyone in the family was as supportive My Grandma Farrell was lividly angry about it but never to me I didn t find out until many years later She was present in Adrian the day I received the Dominican habit Grandmother Mary Lane Farrell was from the town of Abbeyfeale County Limerick Ireland Her sister Nora was a Mercy Sister the living conditions in that time period were difficult Her sister lived a very rigid life and she was afraid that would happen to me Thankfully she came around Grandfather Michael Farrell fondly called Pop was born in Lansing Iowa Frances and Pop used to water the lawn very early in the morning and then take a walk to the bakery I remember the many conversations that we had as I was growing up He supported my decision The rigidity of being a Sister has changed She started her life as a Sister always wearing a traditional habit The Second Vatican Council Vatican II in 1965 brought many changes to clothing and ministries and other restrictions were lifted I was never raised rigidly so once I didn t have to wear a habit I took advantage of other option s But my clothes were not stunning I bought two dresses dark brown and dark blue But she did include some makeup and jewelry I thought if I m going to do this I ve got to look it 10 Sister Frances 1957 Frances with nephew Emmett 1992

Frances with family at her 25th Jubilee 1981 Her brother John s wedding threw her premature wardrobe for a loop I didn t know what to wear My father insisted I wear the habit He felt when I was out in public that I should wear it My mother thought I should do what I wanted But after lamenting over what dress to wear or how fancy to get Frances decided to stick with the safe choice My Dad thought I was following his suggestion I realized if I wasn t going to get really dressed up for the wedding then what was the point These days Frances enjoys good health and loves to spend time with family She recalls what her brother in law Tom Hamill would say when he would see Fran parting wisdom on everyone Now everybody listen it s a Frances ism 11

Tommy b August 9 1936 Thomas Tommy James Fitzpatrick named after his father has been the only sibling to remain in the South Shore neighborhood Tommy who owns a bar named after him takes great pride in his longstanding ownership in a neighborhood that has seen much change He started a scholarship at his elementary school and even launched a foundation He has never been bashful about boasting that he is worth over a million plus Tommy considers himself blessed with the gift of a fine education thanks to help from family connections Tom s father had known one of the priests on staff to help Tommy get into St Ignatius High School a private Jesuit school in Chicago All through life I would tell people I went to St Ignatius and people would respond with a glow in their eye It was one of the finest schools in the world He got into the college of his choosing thanks to other relatives his Uncle Bill and Aunt Roberta Farrell Dorgan Bill was a math professor at Western State College in Gunnison Colorado Tommy shared his concerns about not being accepted anywhere due to poor grades You know what my aunt said to me She said If Uncle Bill can t get you into school he will never eat dinner again So in 1954 Tommy left Chicago for Western State about 200 miles south of Denver It was a different world I didn t know a thing about skiing I had no money But I survived Tommy Fitzpatrick 1970 12 Tommy with nieces Ruth and Mary Farrell and nephew Mike Hamill in 1967

Tommy Frances and Tom Sr 1938 He lived in a basement apartment of his Aunt and Uncle s house and did more than survive I could do no wrong in her eyes Every time I would ask her for something she would say I love your mom so yes Tommy graduated in 1958 with a degree in history and political sciences He moved back home on Oglesby Avenue and spent time with his parents who allowed him to come and go freely The rest of the Fitzpatrick kids were scattered so it was a relief to all of them that Tommy was there for his parents Then in 1969 Tommy recalled his younger brother John made him a proposal to buy a local tavern The deal was I would run the tavern and we each came up with our share of the money to get it started But then John met his future wife Donna right when we got the tavern John and Donna were married a year later and his brother graciously left the bar and all future profits to Tommy Then a good thing happened to me My dad started working for me He was a lifesaver 13

Tom Sr had worked for The Seagram Company for many years one of the largest liquor distributors in the world He knew the bar business well In the early 1970s Tommy s parents left the South Shore neighborhood for the northern suburb of Lake Bluff to be closer to John and Robbie both of who had growing families with plenty of grandchildren to visit Tommy decided to do something that would reward him for years to come He bought a few hundred shares in Walgreens My father said to me Tommy don t take the dividends Let them rollover Someday you re going to thank me By 1995 those shares purchased for a few thousand dollars were worth over a million dollars In 2004 Tommy was featured in a Chicago Sun Times article about small business owners of Irish descent who operated all over the city You can t believe what that did for me I had hundreds of people coming out for the next few months for a visit They said My god Tom You finally made it I heard from all kinds of people Tommy likes to say that he didn t just bask in his good fortune he gave it back In 2006 he started the Tom Fitzpatrick Scholarship Fund donating 60 000 to his parish St Philip Neri Only the money didn t last more than a year and a half The whole school was needy so the money was gone quickly Tommy and Frances Christmas 1937

St Philip Neri Church In exchange for the donation Tom requested a plaque bearing his name be hung at the back of church I said now Father I want you to say a prayer and give me and my girlfriend a blessing in front of my plaque And he did Then I said Now Father if I die and you re still here I want to be waked and have a funeral right here in this church for no charge The parish priest who made the arrangements told Tommy he would much rather deal with his brother John who also donated a lump of money to the parish My brother is the opposite of me Never blows his horn Although Tommy enjoys recognition he feels that he has done great things to warrant it Tommy with guidance from his parish priest Father Tom started the Tom Fitzpatrick Foundation using 30 000 to help seniors with medical care concerns and working to address domestic violence a problem prevalent in the area 15

It s terrible It s the biggest crime out here There s no good way to combat it Tommy credits much of his blessings to great family and friends I couldn t have done it without my brother John He s been my financial advisor for the past 50 years We have a wonderful relationship He also gives a nod to both of his sisters Robbie and Frances have achieved so much at a time when women were not credited with things like they are today Robbie worked her way up to the vice president level at Cigna And Frances was the star of our family from a very early age when she became an Adrian Dominican Sister She is still giving back to the community Tommy is a philanthropist and community activist supporting many South Shore community groups He is the largest donor to the parish and school of St Philip Neri donating 100 000 over the years In 2015 Tommy made a donation to the Julia Neary Cancer Fund Julia daughter of Thomas Neary St Philip Neri class of 1949 passed away about six months ago of cancer Tommy s donation was made in the name of the entire Fitzpatrick family of St Philip Neri School including Sr Francis class of 1949 Tom class of 1950 Robbie class of 1952 and John class of 1955 As Tommy reflects on the past he considers himself fortunate that at age 78 he is in good health tends his bar and lives with his longtime girlfriend Barbara For the brainpower that I had I think I did pretty well All of us have been successful Everyone did it in their own way 16 John Laura Ed and Tommy in 1990

Easter Sunday in front of the family house on Oglesby 1946 Robbie b October 18 1938 Roberta Robbie Ann Fitzpatrick Hamill has always had a love of the arts Robbie began her career as a teacher then worked as a licensed counselor for a large corporation Later at the age of 76 she has found herself returning to her artistic roots In her townhome in Glenview she spends time on her back patio with friends from a park district art class Robbie grew up in the South Shore neighborhood first on Kingston Avenue then to Oglesby Avenue in 1941 The neighborhood was wonderful We had access to the train the lake the beach and all of downtown The Art Institute and the Museum of Science and Industry were like playgrounds for us The neighborhood was filled with Jewish and Irish families at the time Robbie and best friend Nancy Passman would go ice skating on the Midway Plaza and exchange Hanukkah and Christmas gifts We were city kids and had freedom and access to it all 17

The house on Oglesby was filled to capacity Robbie together with her three siblings Grandpa Pop Michael Farrell and Grandma Mary Theresa Lane Farrell all lived together with two of Mary s sisters Roberta and Ursula It was a multigenerational household It was challenge There s no house big enough for ten people Robbie has fond memories living with Grandma and beloved Pop who had circulation issues in his legs and walked with a cane I remember on Christmas morning all of us kids would get up before dawn to look at the gifts and then we d hear the sound of his cane on the stairs But he never got mad He was always so kind and patient with us As he grew older Pop had a unique habit to exercise his brain He would watch the news and then write about all the events in a log to keep his mind sharp Grandma was the baker of the house she specialized in pies of every flavor and ensured the house on Oglesby smelled of freshly brewed coffee and baked bread on a regular basis She would let the dough rise on the radiators The smell was fabulous To this day my friends say they wish they could eat some of that bread But after time the baked goods lost its luster with the kids It got to the point that my brother John and I just wanted some regular sliced Wonder bread 18 Frances Tom and Robbie 1940

The Fitzpatrick home at 7155 Oglesby in Chicago Meals were an occasion in the house growing up Breakfast was casual eaten in the kitchen Every morning the kids were served oatmeal or cream of wheat I hated it We had a brass carafe in the middle of the table and I would hide my cereal in there Robbie considered her parents Thomas James and Elizabeth Farrell Fitzpatrick kind and loving Thomas was a salesman and his charm and personality aided him greatly on the job He also was a ferocious reader and spent much of his free time at the South Shore Library Robbie s mom Elizabeth was very practical with her children and knew just how to handle the tough questions they brought her At St Philip Neri Catholic School Robbie learned the sacraments but could not get her head around the concept of Transubstantiation the Catholic belief that the Eucharistic bread and wine are not only symbols but actually become the body and blood of Christ I came to my mom with all sorts of questions about it Instead of dismissing me she said I know I agree But all these people who came before us must be smarter than us and they have it figured out 19

Robbie s mother kept the household running and created a feeling of security and stability she loved I always felt safe growing up With ten people in the house Robbie sometimes felt like just a number This changed after a trip downtown with her older brother Tommy The two arrived home hours late from a trip to the Museum of Science and Industry and met their mother at the door My mother burst into tears There were no phones to let her know we were okay I never knew she worried about us until that day After St Philip Neri Robbie went to St Xavier for high school Then she followed in her older sister Frances s footsteps and went off to college to Loretta Heights in Denver Colorado Her friend from 1st grade Judy Carey went with her Robbie stayed for two years studying art But she had her sights set on New York City and a degree in fashion design I had applied to the Coburn School of Design and got in I was all set to go to New York City and my father and mother said no Instead she finished her degree locally at Mundelein College when her life took an unexpected turn her senior year It was 1959 when Robbie met Thomas Anthony Hamill They were engaged a year later and married February 4th 1961 20 Robbie Tommy and Frances with mom 1940

Robbie and Tom Sr on her wedding day 1961 Even though she was armed with an art and fashion design degree she started teaching at St Peter and Paul school teaching 7th graders I felt about the same age as the kids but I liked it I was never bored Soon Robbie was blessed with a child and her teaching days were over If you were pregnant you couldn t teach That s just the way it was in the Catholic schools You might have to talk about sex Ten months and two days after getting married Tom and Robbie welcomed Michael Thomas in 1961 Years brought more children with Ruth Ann in 1963 Mary Farrell in 1965 and Jane Frances in 1967 All her children were named after family members The family moved from South Shore to Beverly to Glenview After over a decade of being out of the workforce raising kids Robbie went back to school and became a licensed social worker and family counselor In 1975 in the middle of her graduate program Tom opened his own public relations company The problem Robbie lamented was the job was in Edina Minnesota 21

I left everything behind I regret not being more graceful about it I was an absolute b to my husband After 16 years in Minnesota Robbie finished her degree and got a job in crisis counseling with Cigna in 1982 Her own family life went through periods of crisis as well While Robbie considered her husband Tom smart and articulate she knew he struggled with alcoholism Through the support of Alcoholics Anonymous Tom got sober in 1975 Sadly Tom passed away from Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy in 2012 These days Robbie s happiest moments are when surrounded by her four children their spouses and her eight grandchildren They are so much fun It s a great permanent part time job 22 Robbie with husband Tom and children in 1967

John s mother Mary at J N Thorpe 1970 John with Pop Farrell 1941 John b August 5 1941 John Denis Fitzpatrick is the youngest of the Fitzpatrick Four He has always been categorized by his calm and mild mannered disposition I didn t mind going to school I listened and didn t cause any trouble I hung with a good crowd When he wasn t behind a desk at St Philip Neri he was playing basketball softball or football with school or neighborhood friends in the South Shore area He spent summers at the 71st or 75th Street Beach and took frequent bike rides to the Museum of Science and Industry I had a great childhood There was always a lot going on and a lot of friends around John grew up in the house on Oglesby Avenue with his siblings parents and grandparents Michael Pop Farrell and Mary Lane Farrell My grandparents were a positive influence on our family John recalls his parents as devoted His father was a sales representative for Diversey Chemical Company His mother taught 5th and 6th grade at J N Thorpe Elementary close by at 86th and Burley Avenue Having a teacher for a mother had its benefits She taught me a lot on the side She helped with arithmetic and reading I was a brilliant student of course John said with a smile Despite both holding down jobs John remembers both parents as being very present in the house Family dinners were a sacred tradition 23

In those days it wasn t pizza around the TV Dinner was around the table every night at 6pm give or take After elementary school John went to Mount Carmel high school and then Xavier University in Cincinnati Ohio He graduated with a BS degree in business and philosophy I played intermurals football basketball handball and softball In spite of myself I learned a lot After graduating John knew he wanted to work within the finance industry but first served in the Army reserve for six years based out of Ft Knox Kentucky Once out of the army he interviewed for a job with a Thompson McKinnon a brokerage firm based on LaSalle Street in Chicago He got the job and was offered the choice of two cities Florida or Kenosha Wisconsin Due to its proximity to Chicago John chose Kenosha I was fortunate Fifty years later here I am I ve always enjoyed it Though the company has undergone several mergers during his time there John has served as the financial advisor for some of the same clients for decades His coworkers have come and gone but his two sons Edward and Andrew have joined in the business working alongside him It s terrific We have our differences of opinion on occasion But they re not kids anymore and have ideas of their own I feel very blessed that they have had the same interest in it 24 John 1942 John Mt Carmel graduation 1959

John with his boys Ed Bill Andrew John Joe and Emmett 2000 In addition to Edward and Andrew John has four other children Laura William Joseph and Emmett He credits much of the great upbringing of his children to his wife Donna who passed away in 2013 John is quick to point out that both he and Donna played a role in their children s upbringing Certain things were just expected early on in their childhood As a result the kids had a terrific knack for sorting things out amongst themselves There wasn t a whole lot of whining or complaining And some of good parenting comes down to knowing your kids age I learned not to negotiate too much Don t ask questions that they don t know the answers to That s your job as a parent And if your two year old is acting like a two year old well that s to be expected Despite working full time John has always found balance between his working and home life The secret is showing up Being home Kids know the difference When you re not on the phone your kid knows you want to be with them 25

John plans to continue working as long as he can but makes sure spending time with his children and grandkids are a priority John particularly enjoys the holidays and other family gatherings such as going to his daughter Laura s for the 4th of July and to his sister Robbie s for Christmas He also relishes the simple times with family Friday night pizza or Saturday morning jackers John remains very close to friends from the neighborhood Each summer he plays golf with his old friends Mike Ohlinger Chuck McCarthy Mike Fallaw and Bernie Casella amongst others For the past 15 years John and his college friends Ollie Lynch Dan Lynch Larry Bliss Bernie Slattery Johnny DiBenitetto Bill Revelese and Jack Callahan have met playing golf together What you find once your children are older and you renew these friendships that may have been dormant for years is that you have to move forward You can t keep talking about what happened in 1968 It s best to look out the front windshield instead of the rear view mirror This outlook on life has served John well He has no regrets and considers himself fortunate I think we all have a lot more luck than we think we have Fitzpatrick and Hamill families together on Christmas in 1998

A happy family is but an earlier heaven George Bernard Shaw