Vince Gavin Way

04/01/2024

It’s wonderful Alfonso Quiroz has helped preserve the great history of Evergreen Plaza 🌲 by sharing his personal insight and so many stories on the Evergreen Plaza Shopping Center page. 👍

02/18/2024

Great family pics of the granddaughter of Vince Gavin, Bridget, and her beautiful daughter, Kendall Rose. 🌹

08/01/2023

Happy 80th Birthday to the wife of Vince Gavin & my Mom, Eileen Gavin!!! 🎉 🎂 🎈

06/18/2023

Happy Father's Day to all Fathers, especially mine, Sergeant Vince Gavin.👮‍♂️

In 2004, I ran 🏃‍♂️ in the 1st Annual Chicago Poloce Run to Remember.

Yesterday, it was an honor yesterday to be a part of The 19th Annual Chicago Police Run to Remember 🏃‍♂️, honoring the lives and sacrifice of the 600 Chicago Police Officers who tragically lost their lives in the line of duty.

It was also the first time I saw my Dad's paver at Gold Star Memorial and Park, his favorite place in the entire City of Chicago.

Happy Father's Day, Dad!👍

03/17/2023

St. Patrick’s Day ☘️ was always one of my Dad’s favorite days each year.

It was, in part, because St. Patrick’s Day signified the night of his first date with my Mom, Eileen.

It was 60 years ago today, March 17, 1963, when my Dad took my Mom to a dance 🕺 💃, hosted by the men’s group of which he was a member, The Jesters.

The St. Patrick’s Day Dance was held at The Brainerd Club, located at the corner of 87th & Ashland in Chicago.

While my Dad would drive my Mom to school each day for her classes at Chicago Teachers College, it wasn’t until this night they had their first date.

They had a great time, dated on and off over the next 4+ years, eventually got married on September 30, 1967, and were married for 49+ years.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all! ☘️ ☘️☘️

03/15/2023

It was 49 years ago today, March 14, 1974, my Dad, as Mayor Daley’s lead bodyguard, welcomed President Nixon to Chicago as he departed Air Force One at O’Hare Airport.

At The Conrad Hilton Hotel, President Nixon delivered a speech to The Executive Club of Chicago.

03/11/2023

St. Patrick’s Day ☘️ Parade in Chicago in 1976, w/ my Dad as lead on Mayor Daley’s bodyguard detail, along w/ comedian, Mickey Rooney.

Go Irish! ☘️ ☘️☘️

08/14/2022

Happy Birthday to my Dad, who would’ve been celebrating his 80th birthday today. 👍

01/27/2022

Vince Gavin. 32 years old, while protecting Mayor Richard J. Daley at an event in 1975.

09/12/2021

Congratulations to the proud and beautiful granddaughter of VInce Gavin, Bridget, who was given away in marriage by her Father, VInce Gavin, on Friday in Lake Geneva.

My Dad just adored and loved ❤️ Bridget.

He’d be so proud of her for being such a kind, beautiful, and classy woman.

Congratulations & best wishes to Bridget & Desmond Reardon! 🎉🎉🎉

06/04/2021

On this date in 1972, Vince Gavin, 29 years old, marched down State Street in Chicago with Mayor Richard J. Daley and Luis Ferre, Governor of Puerto Rico in the Puerto Rican Parade.

04/18/2021

Today is the 30 Year Anniversary of Opening Day and first game played at the "New Comiskey Park" on April 18, 1991. ⚾️

In honor of this day, I share a photo of me, Vice President Dan Quayle who was throwing out the first pitch, and my Dad (behind me) as we walked into to grab a hot dog 🌭 at JJ's at 31st Street & the Dan Ryan.

My Dad had our Opening Day poster and two tickets, just $16 each in the Club Level, put in a frame and is in my home office.

08/14/2020

Happy Birthday to my Best Man, my Dad! 🎂

Always missed ... but never forgotten. ❤️

08/01/2020

Happy Birthday 🎂 to my kind and beautiful Mom, Eileen Gavin. ❤️

06/21/2020

On this Father’s Day, I’m so grateful for all I learned from my Father, most important, how to be a great Dad.

Love you. Miss you. Happy Father’s Day! ❤️❤️❤️

04/18/2020

In February, I visited with Alfonso Quiroz, who worked very closely with my Dad, Vince Gavin, while he was General Manager at Evergreen Plaza for Arthur Rubloff & Co.

Alfonso reached out to me to discuss my Dad's life and career for his great podcast, 95th & Western.

I was honored to be asked to provide my insight. Our conversation brought back many great memories, funny stories, and lots of laughs.

For those who listen, I hope you enjoy.

Alfonso Quiroz speaks with John Gavin about his father Vince Gavin who was the General Manager of Evergreen Plaza Shopping Center.

11/10/2019

On the morning of June 8th, I took this photo of a beautiful, bright red cardinal atop my Vince Gavin Way lamp post, which I had just installed in my backyard.

The cardinal sat there for at least a minute, stared right at me, and gave me a little head nod as I drank my coffee at my kitchen table.

Since there's hundreds of birds each day that fly into our backyard, I figured all kinds of birds will be sitting on my new lamp post over the Summer and Fall. Nope. Not one bird.

This cardinal is the only bird anyone has seen on the Vince Gavin Way lamp post over the past 6 months. As I look back, it's like the cardinal was claiming his "turf."

When I showed this photo to my Mom, she cried immediately.

She told me about an old famous saying "When a cardinal appears in your backyard, it's a visitor from heaven."

She now has this photo framed in her family room and gives her great comfort.

This past Friday, November 8th, marked the three year anniversary of my Dad's last full day of life.

For the last three years, I can always count on getting a phone call on November 8th from the kindest, most unbelievable man and a dear friend of my Dad ... Monsignor Ken Velo.

As usual, we had a great conversation, shared a few stories about my Dad, and had a few big laughs on Friday.

But, it was In the days immediately following my Dad's passing in 2016, Monsignor Velo reminded my family he was always with us and to look for little "signs" of my Dad's presence.

I'll never forget this beautiful, bright red cardinal sitting on my new lamp post above the Vince Gavin Way sign.

11/08/2019

One of my Father's closest friends who was also a true mentor and father-figure to him was Arthur Rubloff, the incredible visionary real estate legend who is forever credited with developing North Michigan Avenue and naming it "The Magnificent Mile."

In the link to the article from the Chicago Tribune at the bottom of this post, originally written on August 29, 2007, Arthur's life and contributions to Chicago are discussed by Arthur's closest friends ... Dr. Eddie Newman, Harry Rosenberg Sr., Austin Hirsch, and my Father, Vince Gavin.

I'm sure the "downtown club" referenced where this discussion took place was The Standard Club, where my Father and I also had lunch and shared many laughs with Harry and Austin while I sought their advice in the Fall of 2011. This lunch with Harry and Austin, who my Father referred to as "geniuses" and "The Best", turned out to be one of the most informative, insightful, and valuable few hours of my life.

While this article discusses many of Arthur's great accomplishments in real estate and charitable contributions to Chicago, I'll always remember and cherish my own memories with Arthur Rubloff.

They include my Father and I meeting Arthur almost every Saturday morning at 9 am at Evergreen Plaza to "walk the mall", vacations at one of Arthur's condos at The Warwick in Fort Lauderdale while visiting Arthur in his penthouse of The Breakers in West Palm Beach, and how I would watch in awe as how he would always give back to those who were less fortunate ... $100 bills, food, clothing, gift certificates ... anything for anybody.

I'll also never forget the early evening of May 24, 1986. Arthur passed away earlier in the day at the age of 83. It was the top story that night on every local newscast.

My Father was with Arthur at his side during his final days all of the way until the very end.

When my Father walked through the garage door leading into our family room that evening, I'll never forget what he was wearing that day ... his baby blue sportcoat, white shirt, and khaki "slacks." I remember it so vividly because, in part, it was also the first time of very few times in my life, I saw my Dad with tears in his eyes. My Father was 42 years old. I was 12 years old.

Just like my Father, Arthur Rubloff was one of a kind ... both were wonderful men, great leaders, and true legends.
__________________________________________________________

Below is the link to the article titled "Gone" from the Chicago Tribune, originally published on August 29, 2007.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2007-08-29-0708280920-story.html

10/24/2019

This tribute to my Father by my friend, Harry Rosenberg Jr., and Dan Byrne was originally shared with our family when Harry called me on the evening of November 12, 2016.

Our family will forever be grateful to Harry and Dan, private bankers at JP Morgan, for their tribute.

My Father would often refer to his good riend, Harry, as "Young Harry” because he was the son of one of my Father's closest friends and most trusted advisers, Harry Rosenberg Sr.

After seeing my Father at a 100 Club of Chicago event, Harry and Dan arranged to have lunch with my Father at Gene & Georgetti's on November 8, 2016, the day of the Presidential Election. 🇺🇸

Just minutes after their lunch and leaving them at the Merchandise Mart, my Father suffered sudden cardiac arrest at the NE corner of LaSalle & Kinzie, located at 401 North LaSalle in Chicago.

Although my Father's passing was sudden, our family has always taken great comfort knowing the last thing my Father did in his life was what he did better than anyone, helping people.

One of my Father’s favorite sayings was, "If you need more than one hand to count your true friends, then you have too many friends!"

Harry Rosenberg Sr. was one of my Father's dear, true friends ... certainly on my Father's right hand when he would name his closest friends.

There's very few people my Father would have rather helped on his last day of his wonderful life than the son of one of his best friends and, as only my Father would say, "a nice, classy young man from Notre Dame."

On October 11, 2017, the City Council of Chicago chose to honor my Father, by a vote of 49-0, to rename the NE Corner of LaSalle & Kinzie as Vince Gavin Way.

Our family was genuinely blown away and so grateful they chose to honor my Father in such a "first class" way.

This tribute to my Father by Harry and Dan is also very meaningful to our family and is first class.

First class will always be the Vince Gavin Way.

10/22/2019

One of the most cherished possessions from my Father, Vince Gavin, was his Chicago Police Star & Shield, # 7919.

As a proud member of the Chicago Police Department, he always wore his Chicago Police Star & Shield with great dedication, courage, integrity, authority, and honor.

Since, his Chicago Police Star & Shield # 7919 has been retired by the Chicago Police Department.

The Chicago Police Stars & Shields have a great history. For more information, visit ...

https://www.chicagocop.com/badges/

09/30/2019

Happy 52nd Wedding Anniversary to Vince & Eileen Gavin! 🎉🎉🎉

08/26/2019

Congratulations to Paul Gavin, son of Vince Gavin and 5 Time IRONMAN!

Last Sunday, he completed IRONMAN Mont Tremblant in an amazing time of just 10 hours & 43 minutes, finishing in the Top 8% of all IRONMAN athletes!

Paul trained and competed in honor of his late Father, Vince Gavin, and raised money for his favorite charity, The 100 Club of Chicago.

As a result of donations from family, friends, and matching contributions, The 100 Club of Chicago has received over $20,000 to help provide for the families of first responders who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Thank you to all who made donations!

If you would like to make a donation, they will be accepted until the end of the week.

https://www.100clubchicago.org/paulgavinmt/

Congratulations, Paul Gavin!

08/17/2019

Friends of Vince Gavin Way -

On Sunday, my brother, Paul Gavin, will be participating in Ironman Mont Tremblant in Canada.

Paul is doing so in honor of our Dad and in support of our Dad's favorite charity, The 100 Club of Chicago.

The 100 Club of Chicago provides comfort and financial support to the families of first responders who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Over the last year, he has dedicated almost all of his free time to training for Ironamn Mont Tremblant.

More important, he has dedicated each week of his training to a fallen hero and their family by telling their heroic story on his dedicated page.

https://www.facebook.com/paulgavin100Club/

While doing so, he has been overwhelmed by the enormous gratitude expressed by the mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, and friends who have reached out directly to Paul to thank him for remembering their fallen loved one.

The 100 Club of Chicago was my father’s most cherished charity. He served on the Board of Directors. I am also a member of The 100 Club of Chicago, along with my brothers, Vince & Paul.

In support, Paul is matching all donations up to his fundraising goal of $10,000. He has currently raised $7,500.

To help Paul over the Finish Line, my Mom (Eileen), brother (Vince), and sister (Mary) and I will match all contributions which come in today, tomorrow, and Sunday when Paul finishes Ironman Mont Tremblant!

I hope you will consider making a small donation today! Below is the link.

https://www.100clubchicago.org/paulgavinmt/

Thank you so much! John Gavin

08/06/2019

"Never read your own press" was a great life lesson taught by my Father, Vince Gavin.

He would often follow up, while laughing, "You may actually start to believe it!"

"Always stay humble."

It was his advice to so many who admired him for his great insight, wisdom, and leadership.

When Paul Gavin, at the age of just 28, was featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal on November 8, 2006 about real estate in Chicago, my Father was very impressed, especially since his photo and story was "above the fold" and above a story about Senator Hillary Clinton.

But, he was far more proud of how Paul handled the attention which followed him after his front page feature in the Wall Street Journal.

Be proud. Be happy. Be humble. Be yourself. It's the Vince Gavin Way ... and the Gavin Way.

Today, my Father would be so incredibly proud of Paul for many reasons, especially his work for my Father's favorite charity, The 100 Club of Chicago.

To learn more about Paul's journey on The Road to Mont Tremblant, please visit ...

https://www.100clubchicago.org/paulgavinmt/?fbclid=IwAR2X7LvukKLyxp7Uigw-e5OGExtAFS8YE2EAu7Ru_gGOYJLr1_y3avOBJtY

07/24/2019

On the Road to Ironman Mont-Tremblant for the 100 Club of Chicago, Paul Gavin dedicated this week's training to the life and service of a true hero, Chicago Eugene Blackmon.

https://www.facebook.com/paulgavin100Club/

Below, you can read more about Chicago Firfighter Eugene Blackmon.