JIM DOOLEY, HEAD COACH OF THE CHICAGO BEARS, 1968-71, DEAD AT AGE 77.
Have you ever had a "Celebrity Client?"
A colleague in Massachusetts sold Roger Clements house a few years back when he was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the Toronto Blue Jays (very interesting story, I'll tell you sometime).
A lawyer associate of ours has done work for multi-million dollar Chicago White Sox pitchers. Several years ago, before Real Estate, my wife and Team member, Sue, worked as a para-legal for the firm in the Sears Tower, in the Chicago Loop, representing Michael Jordan (THAT Michael Jordan) in a civil dispute - she even got to ride the "secret" elevator with him (what a ride that must have been!)
In real estate for us, our "Celebrity" was Coach Jim Dooley. An outstanding halfback for the University of Miami in the early 1950's, Jim was drafted Number 1 by the Chicago Bears out of college. He led the team in interceptions his rookie year, and in receptions his second year.
He was a superb defensive coach for the 1963 NFL Championship Bears Team (four years pre-Super Bowl), switching to offense in 1965, then becoming Chicago Bears head coach - for four tumultuous, highly-unsuccessful years, in 1968. His teams included many football standouts and future Hall of Famers - Mike Ditka, Gayle Sayers, Dick Butkus, Bill Wade, Johnny Morris, Dick Gordon, Rudy Bukich, and Doug Buffone.
You folks all know how real estate can be. Tough. Unforgiving. You sometimes work hard for your clients, never get a thank you, and once in a while get a glib laugh from former clients who later feel they could have done everything without you. Better, and with more pocketed money. You bite your lower lip, and move on.
Jim and Elaine, his incredibly-positive wife of 56 years (they celebrated their 56th anniversary the day before Jim died), were different. They lived down the street from me, in the East Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago, on the North Side, in a small, older, nothing-special 2-bedroom condo in 1996, when they asked me to sell their condo. They wanted to move closer to their large family, and many grandchildren, in north suburban Lake Forest IL.
At the time, being somewhat of a Bears fan, but not a Die Hard (like I am for the Chicago Cubs), I knew all about Jim Dooley. He was the head coach of the wretched 1969 team that went 1-13, the only victory going against the equally-poor Pittsburgh Steelers, who would later use their coin flip with the Bears to select future Hall of Fame Quarterback Terry Bradshaw in the 1970 draft. Before that, in earlier Bears teams, he was respected as a hard-working genius!
But I didn't know my future client was THE JIM DOOLEY - until I viewed the walls and walls, and shelves and shelves - of football memorabilia in his modest second-floor condo.
You see, back in the 60's, football coaches didn't make much money - especially ones playing for the famous ultra-frugal George Halas - the Bears legendary coach and owner, and the Founding Father of the National Football League, who picked Dooley for his first successor after he retired. The most he ever made as coach in the a 1960's was $35,000. Today, many players make more than that for ONE DOWN OF FOOTBALL!
He fell on hard times in the early 70's. It strained his relationship with his family, but they, and Elaine, never faltered. They made it through!
I sold Jim's condo, and he moved to a newer, larger condo in Lake Forest. Later, his daughter, Lisa Trace, spoke with me about getting into Real Estate. She did several months later, and today is a prominent Realtor in affluent Lake Forest. We became closer to the family - attending Jim and Elaine's 50th Wedding Anniversary, a couple of parties at his new condo, and always keeping in touch via phone and mail. Great, appreciative family. Great kids. Incredible grandkids!
Last winter, Jim called us about getting involved with a soup kitchen at his former Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, on Ashland Avenue, in the Ravenswood Neighborhood. Of course, we helped.
He asked us to come up to visit him at his home to discuss raising money for the cause by auctioning off some of his football memorabilia. Dean's Team Member Jeff Ardito, also a big Chicago Bears fan, came with me that day. Elaine was very gracious when she prepared a simple, but generous lunch for us all - some cold cut sandwiches with potato salad - and we all watched a few minutes of Jim's beloved Miami Hurricanes on TV that Saturday afternoon.
I called Jim and Elaine this year to wish the family a Happy Thanksgiving this year. Then, a couple of weeks later, a Merry Christmas. Jim and Elaine were always excited to spend the holidays together with their families - they often celebrated early to accommodate all their kids and grandchildren. Often times, this past football season, Jim would get on the phone with me and complain about the 2007 Bears team. Poor execution, he said. He could have coached them better, he said.
On December 27th, I phoned the Dooley home to wish them an early Happy New Year. No answer. On the 29th - no answer. The 30th, 31st, again on January 2nd, the 4th, the 7th. No answer. No answer. No answer.
I feared for the worst!
On Tuesday, Jim Dooley, "The Coach," way before Mike Ditka was "Da Coach", passed away, after a long battle with ALS, or "Lou Gehrig's Disease." His last days on life support, his entire family was at his bedside when he died, according to his daughter, and Realtor, Lisa.
As our clients go, Jim and Elaine were the best! Wish everyone we run into were like you folks, and your family!
Jim . . . Coach . . . we miss you, and we love you! We will never forget you! You were a bit of a celebrity, but always a friend.
Please read Chicago Tribune Football Writer Emeritus Don Pierson's story in yesterday's Chicago Tribune.
DEAN, SUE, JEFF, KATHY & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
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