Category Archives: Death

March 14, 2019 · 8:01 pm

TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE BAG

John Jonelis

I’ve asked it before, “The way you conduct business—is it meaningful to those left behind?” Is it?

I’m here at the Levy Entrepreneurship Group, talking with some of the most brilliant business minds in Chicago. This group’s been meeting for over 60 years. It’s the genius of Joe Levy, the prolific entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist—the son of a south Michigan Ave car dealer. Joe was an endless entrepreneur—constantly learning, constantly experimenting—the quintessential gentleman who gave everybody an at-bat—who spoke quietly but directly and told the truth as he saw it. He pushed people off the bag. “You’re lousy at this. What are you good at? Contribute. Help somebody.” People found inspiration and hope. Never a disparaging word about Joe. “If you don’t have a satisfied customer, you’re compromising your future.” He was the original automobile mega dealer, angel investor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. “God put me on this earth to produce, not to consume.” Joe Levy is dead at 92. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under angel, angel investor, Business, Characters, Death, Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Giving, Influence, Relationships, Startup Companies, Startups, Story, vc, venture capital

Tagged as Death, Entrepreneur, Father, genius, horse racing, investor, joe levi, joe levy, landlord, levi, levy, Life, mastermind group, mentor, philanthropist, playwright, racetrack, salesman, teacher

December 22, 2017 · 10:30 am

A STOLEN STORY

by John Jonelis

“Tell me a story, Uncle John!”

“A story eh?” My pal Loop Lonagan got in big trouble telling stories to Jim Kren’s little girl. “Y’know, Princess, in this case, maybe discretion’s the better part of valor.”

“But I always get a bedtime story. I can’t sleep without a bedtime story. Please, Uncle John! Pleeeeeeeeeze!”

How can a guy turn this kid down? “Okay Princess, just lay back and pretend you’re sleepy.”

“Make it a Christmas story!” Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under angel, angel investor, Business, Characters, Death, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Faith, Giving, High Tech, Jim Kren, Relationships, Startup Companies, Startups, Story, vc, venture capital

Tagged as avarice, Bible, Christmas, envy, Gift, Greed, hate, Holy Bible, Jesus Christ, loose living, lost son, love, Parable, the return of the prodigal son, waste

September 8, 2017 · 7:30 am

CLOSURE

John Jonelis

How do you deal with the death of a loved one? For me, an important facet of grieving is closure. This is an account of what I did at the burial of my mother. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Conflict, Death, Faith, Relationships

Tagged as Burial, Death, God, grief, Heaven, Life

July 20, 2017 · 7:00 am

SECRETS DARK AND OLD

by John Jonelis

“I still say da guy deserves what he got. He ran down dat poor animal on purpose! Hates squirrels. Says so in da papers.” So proclaims Loop Lonagan regarding Alderman Brookins of Chicago’s 21^st Ward. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Characters, Conflict, Death, Influence, Jim Kren, loop lonagan, Mystery, Story

Tagged as Alderman Howard Brookins Jr, Bar, bicycle accident, chicago machine, chicago machine politics, chicago politics, commie, communist, cruelty to animals, eastern gray squrrels, politics, rat control, rat control problem, scapegoat, squirrel extermination, squirrels, tavern

June 25, 2017 · 4:54 pm

MILLENNIALS ARE BECOMING OBSOLETE—ALREADY!

by Tom McBride

The first time I heard the word “obsolete” was when I overheard my father talking to a stranger on a bus. They were speaking about a new expressway that the city had built, and the stranger said, “That thing was obsolete before they ever opened it.” Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under angel, angel investor, Business, Conflict, Death, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Influence, mobile, Relationships, Startup Companies, Startups, vc, venture capital

Tagged as baby boomers, conflict between generations. generation gap, difference between generations, gen x, generations, growing old, middle age, millennials, obsolete, senior citizen, similarity between generations, young people

February 27, 2017 · 7:00 am

HAT TRICK

by John Jonelis

He can feel it, hear it—his heart—beating hard, beating fast. Pounding above the din of those big nubbly tires and the blast of snow hitting the wheel wells. Is it anticipation? Fear? Primeval blood lust?

How will it feel to gun down a living animal? Can he really pull the trigger?

Today, Loop Lonagan joins seven seasoned hunters and four highly trained dogs to indulge in what his editor calls one of the great joys in life—slaughtering a few of God’s creatures. He’s a last-minute stand-in and rounds out the party to eight. Two hunters per dog. Perfect! How did he let himself get roped into this? Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under angel, angel investor, Business, Characters, Death, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, loop lonagan, Startup Companies, Startups, vc, venture capital

Tagged as 12 gauge, blaze orange, blizzard, blood lust, double barrel, Game, happy hunter, hunting, meat on the table, over and under, pheasant, primal instinct, pump action, satisfaction, shooting, shot, shotgun, sport, thrill of the hunt, upland game, white out, white out conditions

December 2, 2016 · 7:00 am

TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM

by Mark T Wayne

Howard Brookins Jr, the alderman for Chicago’s 21st ward, was biking along Cal-Sag Trail on Nov. 13, when a squirrel darted into his path. The squirrel wrapped itself in the spokes of the alderman’s bicycle. [The Washington Post.] According to the alderman, “I can think of no other reason for this squirrel’s actions than that it was like a suicide bomber, getting revenge.” [The Chicago Tribune.]

If this is revenge, there is good reason for it. Yes sir! As the Post also reports: “Brookins denounced the eastern gray squirrel in a Chicago City Council meeting and has publicly spoken out about a toothy menace.” He complains of “aggressive squirrels that undermine efforts to overhaul the city’s trash carts.” [Chicago Sun Times] He claims that squirrels are gnawing through garbage cart lids at a cost to the city of $300,000! Continue reading →

Comments Off on TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM

Filed under Characters, Conflict, Death, Jim Kren, mark t wayne, Politics, Story

Tagged as 'Suicide bomber' squirrel hospitalizes Chicago politician who spoke out against squirrels, Ald Brookins, Alderman Brookins, Alderman Howard Brookins Jr, Alderman says 'aggressive squirrels' eat through garbage carts, aldermen, Chicago alderman, Chicago aldermen, cruelty to animals, guilt by association, Howard Brookins Jr, Kamikaze squirrel gets revenge on Ald. Brookings, Mike Royko, mistaken identity, noble savage, politics, revenge, scapegoat, squirrel, squirrel attack, squirrel attacks alderman, squirrel eradication, squirrel menace

November 4, 2016 · 7:00 am

NO GOAT

by John Jonelis

This thing still replays in my mind. And the news is everywhere!

“The last real American sports story—the story of the team that couldn’t and seemingly never would—is gone for good… [Rick Morrissey – Sun Times] Now I watch in shocked delight as the Cub’s sleeping bats come alive! A leadoff home run…

“…ending more than a century of flops, futility and frustration.” [Ronald Blum – Associated Press] …now more runs—a lot more runs, but way too many innings left to go… Continue reading →

Comments Off on NO GOAT

Filed under Business, Conflict, Death, Faith, Games, Relationships, Startup Companies, Startups, Story, Suspense

Tagged as Baez, baseball, Bears, blackhawks, Bryant, Bulls, Chapman, Chicago teams, Contreras, Cubs, cubs win, Dexter Fowler, Ernie Banks, Hendricks, Heyward, Jake, Lester, longest drought, longest losing streak, Montero, Rizzo, Ron Santo, Ross, Russell, Schwarber, Sox, unbounded joy, White Sox, World Series, Zobrist

November 24, 2015 · 12:59 pm

THE VENTURE CANOE

John Jonelis

Citizens often refer to their country as the ship of state. In like manner, investors picture big corporations as sleek cruise liners or enormous freighters. The thinking goes like this: The bigger the hull, the more seaworthy the ship and the more stable the ride. And that’s true—most of the time. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under angel, angel investor, Business, Death, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Startup Companies, Startups, vc, venture capital

Tagged as a startup is like a canoe, a startup is like a small boat, business is like a boat, escape, investment risk, Risk, small is better, smaller is better, startup boat, startup canoe, startup ship, tradgedy

September 21, 2015 · 3:13 am

THE PRICE OF THEIR TOYS

by John Jonelis

The radio crackles, “Cherokee Six, rock yer wings and rock ‘em good.” Jim Kren ignores the command. We’re no Cherokee Six. Is the controller looking at another airplane?

The sky is lousy with traffic converging on one tiny airport Too many planes for back-and-forth radio chatter. Special rules apply. The controller spots incoming with binoculars and radios his instructions—the pilots respond in a kind of airborne sign language. Keying your mike is tantamount to declaring an emergency.

Jim can comply. He can bide his time. Either is dangerous if he’s wrong. Aviation is full of moments like that. The entire air transport system won’t function unless responsible people break the law in just the right way.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Business, Characters, Death, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Jim Kren, loop lonagan, Startup Companies, Startups, Story

Tagged as air traffic control, eaa, eaa airventure, eaa fly-in, experimental aircraft, experimental aircraft association, fly in, homebuilt, homebuilt aircraft, oshkosh, oshkosh fly-in, signals

November 21, 2014 · 1:57 pm

INJURIES TREATED BADLY

by John Jonelis

Kids are dropping dead on the athletic field. Dead! These are our kids—those highly cherished and precocious little brats, grades K-12. Just a few years back we suffered a miserable year—120 deaths according to the Youth Sports Safety Alliance. Here’s a huge problem waiting to get fixed. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Conflict, Death, Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, Startup Companies, Startups

Tagged as Athletes, athletic injuries, blown out knee, coaches, concussion, football, heart attack, heart problems, High School, injuries, injury records, k-12, knee medical records, records, records of injuries, shoulder separation, soccer, sports, sports injuries, trainers, wriestling

August 20, 2014 · 12:30 am

CLOSER TO HEAVEN

as told by Mark T Wayne

Danger and deprivation make up the joys of any wilderness expedition. Have you ever heard an adventurer speak of anything else? I have not, sir! Our bold band is bound for a rare excursion! Today, we hope to try our mettle against the Canadian Wild! Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under Characters, Conflict, Death, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, Startup Companies, Startups, Suspense, Writing style

Tagged as bad weather, busting minimums, canada, Fear, fishing, fishing resort, fishing trip, flight safety, float plane, fly in resort, king air, loren bukkett, low ceiling, low visibility, mark T wayne, north woods, northern pike, o'hare field, pilot, pontoon plane, private strip, thunderclappers, thunderstorms, walleye, winnipeg