McKinley Park – 1939. The hot summer Sun shines down on the tough and hard working class neighborhood called McKinley Park. The neighborhood still recovering from the Great Depression only a few years earlier. Small businesses stretch across 35th street and along the famous Indian trail named Archer Avenue. One such McKinley Park business was Sullivan’s Ice and Coal Company located at 3522 S. Hermitage. Sullivan’s Ice and Coal Company had 12 delivery trucks that delivered to McKinley Park, Bridgeport and Brighton Park neighborhoods.
Working for his dad sometimes 16 hours a day the young Tom Sullivan uses large tongs to carry heavy, 100 lbs., blocks of ice. The heavy ice blocks are carried up flights of stairs to homes throughout McKinley Park, Bridgeport and Brighton Park.
(Chicago is a city of immigrants and Tom Sullivan’s father was one. Immigrating from Ireland to make a better life. He helped build Our Lady of Good Council Church in 1902 for the McKinley Park community.)
But then in 1942 came World War II and like so many others Tom went off to war. Almost every block of McKinley Park had a person who fought in WWII. They were protecting their families, their friends and their country from the Axis of Evil. The average age of a U.S. frontline Soldier during WWII was only 26 years old. Tom came close to death in the Pacific during WWII, and was lucky to make it home alive. Unfortunately, many soldiers who lived in McKinley Park did not make it home.
Neighborhood war gardens (Victory Gardens) were grown on lawns throughout McKinley Park to honor the soldiers who went to War and to Rational food supplies during the war.
After the war, returning soldiers wanted nothing more than to forget what they witnessed and not talk about the horrors. They only wanted to live a simple, peaceful and positive life.
This generation who walked the earth before us seen the worst of the World. Living through both the Great Depression and now World War II. They never talked about what they went through, it was only later you realized it.
After the War Tom went back to work at Sullivan’s Ice and Coal Company. Refrigerators had not yet been invented. Homes used ice boxes which stored big blocks of ice to keep their food cold. The ice needed to be replaced every few days.
One hot summer day in 95 degrees heat while caring ice up a flight of stairs in a home behind Our Lady of Good Counsel Church Tom’s eyes zoomed in on the prettiest woman he had ever seen in his life. Her name, Virginia Tomasewski. Few people in life ever have an opportunity to meet their soulmate. But on this day, both Tom and Virginia knew then and there, this was theirs.
In 1947 a popular dancehall stood at Archer & Hamilton. Tom saw Virginia there. He pulled out a coin from his pocket and played a song by Francis Craig and Nob Lamm entitled “Near You.” As the needle gently touched the spinning 45 record music began to come out of the speaker and filled the danced hall, Tom nevously walked up to Virginia and asked her to dance. Virginia looked at him with a smile and said yes.
Click on record to listen to song
Every time Tom and Virginia would go out Tom would always play “Near You” on the Jukebox, over and over again, many times in a single night. It was their song.
On Jan 29, 1949 they married at Our Lady of Good Council Church. They bought a home at 3522 S. Winchester where they raised their large family. Inside the house hung a sign that read, “Whether you think you can or you can’t, either way, you are right.”
They would spend the next 60 years raising their family and volunteering with many organizations in McKinley Park. Even with his busy schedule Tom still found time to play “Near You” for Virginia. Many times over the phone. Her eyes would sparkle every time she heard the song. It was their song.
Tom served as Grand Knight for the Knights of Columbus, volunteered in performing the maintenance of the Knights of Columbus building located at 33rd and Paulina. The building had a hall that was used for wedding receptions, community events and dinners and every Firday evening hundreds of people from the neighborhood would play Bingo there or just have a few drinks at bar and talk to neighbors. Tom also was the bartender at the hall. The upstairs of the building had a room with a pool table and another bar that was used for members. Tom was also a member of the Wm McKinley American Legion Post 231.
Virginia was the founding member of the Ladies Auxiliary at the Knights of Columbus. Virginia volunteered at the Wm McKinley American Legion Post 231, a member of OLGC Altar & Rosary Society, Mothers Club, School Board and Athletic Club Board, and Cub Scouts leader of both St. Maurice and OLGC. They were good friends with Bill Toms who was a founder of the McKinley Park Civic Association. Virginia was also a Board Member of the McKinley Park Civic Association and they would later name their prestigious community service award after William H.G. Toms.
Tom Sullivan passed away years ago. Virginia Sullivan recently passed away at the age of 92.
At the end of Virginia’s Funeral Mass, as the casket slowly made it’s final pass through the aisle, the song “Near You” played softly over the speakers filling the beautiful Church with music. It was their song.
