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222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza
Chicago, IL, 60654
312-380-9883
Chicago's honorary brown street signs, days, and commemorative honors; the who, what, where, when and why. Honorary Chicago guide book, maps, biographies, history, trivia, tours, and gifts.
Filtering by Category: profile
Martha Ramos was Chief of Staff for the Alderman of the 35th Ward.
Ward: 35
Alderman: Ramirez-Rosa
Neighborhood: Logan Square
b. December 10, 1965
d. February 20, 2019. Age 54
Reverend James Marcellus Stone was the founder of the Stone Temple Missionary Baptist Church which was a center of the civil rights movement in Chicago in the 1960s. Under Rev. Stone’s leadership, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached and held rallies at his church. Rev. Stone was born in Georgia, and he knew Martin Luther King, Sr. (the father of Martin Luther King, Jr.} who was a preacher in Atlanta. The church became the “action center” of King’s Chicago Freedom Movement in 1966. When King moved his family to Chicago to support the civil rights movement in the north, Rev. Stone found an apartment for King’s family near the Church. Rev. Stone joined King’s march in Selma.
Reverend Stone’s grandson, Derrick Fitzpatrick, is now the senior pastor of Stone Temple MBC.
The Stone Temple Baptist Church building was designated a Chicago Landmark in 2016.
Ward:24
Alderman:
Neighborhood: North Lawndale
Born in Georgia
Near
Stone Temple Baptist Church
3620 W. Douglas Boulevard
Debra Gaurige worked at the Chicago Park District, Smith Park pool for decades.
Approved: April 2019
Ward: 26
Alderman: Roberto Maldonado
Neighborhood: West Town
d. May 29, 2018
Near: Smith Park
Kenneth “Butch” Campbell
Approved: April 2019
Ward: 29
Alderman: Chris Taliaferro
Neighborhood: Austin
d. April 2018
Source
Apostle Cornelius Parker, Sr. served at the Zion Faith Center Bible Church on Chicago’s Southwest side
Approved: April 2019
Ward: 34
Alderman: Carrie Austin
Neighborhood: Washington Heights
Near: Zion Faith Center Bible Church
9993 S. Throop Street
Source
Father Larry Duris dedicated himself to the African-American community and to Catholic life and education. He was ordained by John Cardinal Cody, Archbishop of Chicago. Since 2009, Fr. Duris was pastor at St. Ailbe’s Catholic Church on Chicago’s far south side, and unofficially and spontaneously with parishioners and neighbors at the local grocery store. Before St. Ailbe’s he served in 5 other Chicago area parishes. Fr. Duris had a fascination with African-American history, arts, and music; he was known to be a very good pianist.
In January of 2016 he was presented the Pope John XXIII Award for Outstanding Ministry by the Association of Chicago Priests.
Alumni:
St. Anthony School in Cicero
St. Peter Catholic School in Skokie
Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago
University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein
Approved: April 2019
Ward: 8
Alderman: Michelle Harris
Neighborhood: Calumet Heights
Born in Chicago
d. 2018 age 74
Near St. Ailbe’s Catholic Church
9015 S. Harper Avenue
Tillie Rybak was a long time resident of Chicago. She lived in the Humboldt Park neighborhood for 71 years.
Approved: 2018
Ward: 26
Alderman: Maldonado
Neighborhood: Humboldt Park
b. August 30, 1922
d. July 31, 2017. Age 94. Chicago
Near
2605 W. Chicago Avenue
Source
Honorary Buddy Williams Lane in Chicago was approved in 2019
Read MoreDoris Ivy received a kidney transplant in 1991 and survived 27 years. She was the sister of Illinois Secretary of State, Jesse White. This life saving transplant inspired him to raise awareness and to prioritize organ transplants in his position as Secretary of State.
The sign is located near the residence where she lived, Union Missionary Baptist Church where she was a member of the choir, and not far from where as children Doris and Jesse lived when their family moved to Chicago from Alton, Illinois.
Approved: October 2018
Ward 2
Neighborhood: Gold Coast
1999 IL Secretary of State, Jesse White and his sister Doris Ivy, “Gift of Life” public service announcement (video YouTube: ODILSOS)
Chicago Sun-Times article July 3, 2018
The Gorale are an ethnic group from the Carpathian mountain highlands of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Ukraine.
The Polish Highlanders Alliance of North America is located near Archer Avenue and Pulaski Avenue in Chicago and was founded in 1929.
Ward: 14
Alderman: Burke and Reboyras (30)
Neighborhood: Archer Heights
Honorary Hugh M. Hefner Way, with remnant of former (presumably stolen) sign below it. March 2015
Photo: Honorary Chicago
Hugh Hefner published the first Playboy Magazine in 1953 with a nude centerfold of Marilyn Monroe. That was the beginning of his adult entertainment empire which included clubs, television, music, literature, interviews with historic figures, and lots of controversy.
Hugh grew up on Chicago's Northwest side and attended Chicago Public Schools: Sayer Elementary School and Steinmetz High School.
He served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Hugh graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1949.
Playboy Enterprises was located in Chicago from its inception until the headquarters moved to California in 2012.
The original Playboy Mansion was in the Gold Coast neighborhood at 1340 N. State Parkway. It is now a condominium building.
The first Playboy Club was located at 116 E. Walton Street. This building and address no longer exist.
Neighborhood: Magnificent Mile
Dedicated: April 11, 2000
April 9, 1926 - September 27, 2017
Age 91.
The honorary sign is located outside 919 N. Michigan Avenue, the former headquarters of Playboy Enterprises. This building is also known as the Palmolive Building and is recognizable in the Chicago skyline by the bright light atop the building.
Due to recent changes in Chicago's Honorary Street program, new honorary signs can no longer honor a living person. Hugh Hefner Way was installed before this change; he was one of the last surviving honorees.
Honorary Sign FAQ
Robert Borgstrom was the president of the family-owned Wendella boat company which offers private charters, public tours, and water taxi service on the Chicago River.
More about Robert Borgstrom, Albert Borgstrom, Michael Borgstrom and the Wendella Boats and Water Taxis - HonoraryChicago.com and on the Vamonde App
Read MoreTerrence Collier Way - by request from a fan
"Would you be so kind as to tell me where Terrance Callier way is.
I'm a British expat, now living in Chicago, and Terry Callier' s music was very important to me growing up."
Yes, we take requests! - contact us
Terrence Collier was a musician and vocalist who used his voice as an instrument. His distinctive style and arrangement was an eclectic blend of Folk, Soul, Jazz, and African music.
For much of his life Terrence was more influential than he was famous. His career began early; in high school he recorded with Chess Records. He released albums between 1968 and 1978 on labels such as Electra and Cadet. He also wrote songs and arranged music.
In the years before his 1998 comeback with the album "TimePeace," he trained and worked as a computer programmer. In his late 50s he was able to quit his day job and return to his dream job - performing his music.
Terrence was born in Chicago and lived in the Cabrini-Green housing projects. He learned and practiced music in the local Chicago park field house. He was contemporaries with Curtis Mayfield and many other talented Cabrini alumni. Terrence said this of his early experience and musical influence:
On any summer night you could walk by [the field house] and hear fantastic music – these guys could blow, and there were girl groups that sounded like angels... I learned early on to listen to everything – classical music and ethnic music from Africa and Middle East, and it all comes out in your work.
Listen to Terry Collier on YouTube
Northwest corner of Sedgwick Street and Elm Street, cul-du-sac of Elm Street just west of pedestrian walkway at Seward Park near field house where Terrence played.
Approved: October 2016
Ward: 27
Alderman: Burnett
Neighborhood: Cabrini/Seward Park
Dedicated: June 16, 2017
May 24, 1945 - October 27, 2012
Crane High School
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Chicago Tribune, Terry Callier: Farewell to a distinctive Chicago voice, October 30, 2012
New York Times
Impressive Korean media magnate in Chicago. Established Bay Laboratories, Foster Bank, Channel 28. Board of Directors of North Park University and involved with several Korean trade, commerce and cultural organizations.
He owned the Korean Cable Television Network of Chicago, founder and former president, the Korean American Broadcasting Company and Chicago KBS and is currently the president and co-owner of KM Ventures, Inc., a real estate development firm.
1956 came to Chicago
Alumni:
1960 Millikin University, bachelor of Chemistry
North Kedzie and Foster Avenue
Approved July 21, 2004 (for 70th birthday)
Ward; 40
Alderman: O’ Connor
Neighborhood: North Park
b. 1934. Jae Ju, South Korea
Near
North Park University
Firefighter Bill Grant served the Chicago Fire Department for 21 years and died in the line of duty when his truck overturned while responding to a fire.
In 2001 he was honored by Mayor Daley and the City of Chicago for his rescue of a 70-year old disabled woman from a house fire.
His father and brother were also Chicago firefighters.
Approved February 2017
Ward: 19
Alderman: O'Shea
West 90th Street and South Hoyne Avenue
Truck 51
March 23, 2007. Age 44.
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation: William F. Grant
FirefightingLinks
Emily Beazley was a 12 year old who died following a four year battle with cancer and deeply moved her friends, family, classmates, neighborhood, and Grammy Award Winner Taylor Swift. “Emily’s Entourage” was her purple and green clad fan base which raised money for her care and the establishment of the foundation in her name to find a cure for childhood cancers.
Honorary Chicago Police Officer
Approved: May 2015
Ward: 19
Alderman:
Neighborhood: Mount Greenwood
b. 2002
d. 2015. Age 12. Chicago
Near
Her home
Source
https://obits.nola.com/obituaries/nola/obituary.aspx?n=emily-beazley&pid=174896611
Bob Collins was a very popular morning radio personality on WGN AM 720 Radio. To listeners, and to everyone, he was "Uncle Bobby."
Bob Collins died in a private plane accident. February 8, 2000
WGN Radio Walk of Fame
Bob Collins was inducted into the WGN Radio Walk of Fame in 2014.
This commemorative plaque is located in the sidewalk of Pioneer Court aside the Showcase radio studio of the Tribune Building.
East Illinois Street at Cityfront Plaza
Near the WGN Radio Studio in the Tribune Tower
February 8, 2000
Neighborhood: Magnificent Mile
Now on mobile
Honorary Bob Collins Way
in the Honorary Bob Collection
Search: Bob
Bicyclist, 26-year old Bobby Cann, was killed by a motorist while on his commute home from work. He had been a avid cyclist and advocate for bicycle awareness, safe biking and driving practices, and dedicated bike lanes.
Two weeks before his death he participated in the Ride of Silence, the 3rd Wednesday in May, to raise awareness and mourn the loss of bicyclists.
The City of Chicago installed protected bike lanes along the stretch of street where the accident took place. The driver was charged with reckless homicide and aggravated drunk driving.
Northwest corner of Clybourn and Larrabee
Approved: September 2013
Ward: 27
Alderman: Burnett
Dedication: October 25, 2013
Neighborhood: Old Town / Clybourn Corridor
May 29, 2013. Age 26.
Memorial ghost bike, on Clybourn, one block south of sign on east side of street
Bobby Cann, Huffington Post (Ret. May 30, 2017)
Bobby Cann Memorial, DNAinfo (Ret. May 30, 2017)
Memorial for Cyclist Robert Cann, Tribune (Ret. May 30, 2017)
Karen Grace Jones, known to radio listeners as Shannon Dell, was one of the top DJs in Chicago radio at WGCI and WNND (previously WPMT) radio. She was a music programmer and an on-air personality know for her independent spirit, her great big laugh, and her tagline. Her listeners knew she was "lovin' you like a sister."
Video YouTube: uppermidwestaircheck
She looked out for her sisters and brothers and the African-American community. In 1991 Shannon Dell challenged her employer on the disparity in pay between herself and her male counterparts. She did not win, but her efforts drew national attention and raised awareness about discrimination in the workplace . Shannon was a staunch advocate of women and minorities and was eager to help those who desired to work in field of broadcasting.
"Forget radio, forget black and forget woman: (Jones) was a charming person with a big heart who had very strong convictions about people and life,"
- Jack Holiday, a friend and co-worker
(Chicago Tribune)
Karen Grace Jones (Shannon Dell) was born and raised in Cincinnati. Before coming to Chicago she worked in radio in Los Angeles, Dallas, New Orleans, and Washington D.C.
Michigan Avenue at Lake Street
Neighborhood: Cultural Mile
Near the radio station where she once worked.
March 1998. Age 43.
Born in Greece as Iakovos Garmatis, Metropolitain Iakovos was Chicago’s top official for the Greek Orthodox Church of America for nearly 50 years. His parishes included portions of 6 midwestern states. He was elected Bishop in Chicago in 1979 and then promoted to Metropolitan in 1997. Previously he served the Detroit area and the Boston area. During his tenure he increased service to the homeless and needy, youth programs, and with other faith communities.
Alumni
University of Athens, School of Theology
Boston University
Burton at Astor Street
Approved: 2017
Ward: 43
Alderman: Smith
Neighborhood: Gold Coast
b. 1928. Greece
d. June 2, 2017. Age 89. Chicago
Facebook: @MetropolisOfChicago
Website: http://chicago.goarch.org/
https://www.goarch.org/-/archdiocese-mourns-the-falling-asleep-in-the-lord-of-metropolitan-iakovos-of-chicago