Gerald
I've been here all my life. 69 years. My family was raised in Missouri. My father started working at the Navy base here in North Chicago, and that's how we got here.
He was driving a truck at the Navy base and he saved his retirement up to buy a landscape business. It became one of the biggest landscape companies in the area. We also had a had a barbecue store on 14th Street…and a little fruit store in North Chicago.
I played basketball for North Chicago High School, and [my dad] would give me time off all during basketball when we were in-season. Other than that, we’d landscape all year ‘round. My wife and I, when we were in high school we ran the barbecue place. That was our summer job.
It sounds like your dad was committed to instilling a work ethic in you, but when it came to basketball…
There was seven of us, and I kind of was spoiled. I was the youngest and I was an All-State basketball player, so it wasn't too much for me to get out of a lot of things.
Looking back, is there something that you’re surprised you were allowed to get away with?
Coming in the house whenever I felt like it. My wife, she lived right down the alley from me. I would be at her house and my mother would call. My wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, she would say “He just left" and I'd rush out the door. By the time she'd look out the front I'd be sitting there like I'd been sitting outside all the time– but I'd just gotten there. I got away with a lot of stuff.
We've been married for 46 years. We started in kindergarten together. As a single person, I was single from kindergarten to eighth grade. We went together for five years and I've been with her ever since. I think we got engaged my senior year in high school and then we got married my sophomore year in college.
And you never wanted to move from North Chicago?
Except for about seven years. I was playing professional basketball in Europe and I would come here to visit. For about seven years I was living in either Belgium or France.
Some people never have the opportunity to travel abroad, let alone the chance to experience life in another culture. Still, you made your way back to North Chicago.
I was very tempted to live in France for the rest of my life. After my son was born he couldn't speak English; he could only speak French. We'd come home (to North Chicago), and my grandparents didn't have a clue what he's talking about. I made up my mind then; that would be my last year. The teachers over there kept telling me don't worry about it– that he’d learn his English– and for my wife and I to only speak French to him when we're in the house back here in the States so he wouldn't lose it. We refused to do it. Now he's forgotten everything. All his French, he forgot it.
I was pretty fluent. When the kids were growing up, if we didn’t want them to know what the conversation was about, like if one of them was in trouble, we’d talk in French.
Around here, basketball is your language.
I've been the high school basketball coach here for 15 or 20 years. I've been offered jobs at the college level and I've been offered jobs at different high schools, but I love North Chicago. We bought a home, we own property here. And I just love North Chicago.
Is coaching basketball different now then when you first started out?
Not even close to what it used to be. Back then we all knew each other. Now, I’ve got 15 players on a team and I can tell you right now: seven parents, I don’t know who they are. It's totally, totally different.
I’ll never forget, I was a senior in high school and the coach made me mad. I stormed out of practice and by the time I got home, the coach had already called the house. When I walked in my dad said “By the time I get through talking I hope you’re back at the school.” And I'm sprinting back to the school. You don’t get that now.
You know, we didn't lock doors when I was comin' up. But now you can’t do that. People think this or they say that about North Chicago, but I won’t move. There’s still a lot a good people here.
Throughout its history, North Chicago has been a place of evolution. What do you see for its future?
The younger generation's gotta start stepping it up. My oldest son, he just got elected Alderman. My thing as a dad is, I need to step away and let him make his mistakes, learn from his mistakes. It’s their time. And that's what my dad did with me.
My dad had tractor trailer trucks and I always had a CDL license (Commercial Drivers License), ever since I was 18 years old. We were coming from somewhere having picked up big load of trees, somewhere in Indiana. Outta the clear blue sky he pulled over and said “Drive it in.” I drove straight into a telephone pole.
He didn't fuss. He didn't say anything. “You can't be afraid of the truck.” That's all he said. We called the police, made the report, and he made me get back on the road. I drove it in. Been driving ever since. But he let me make the mistake: I drove straight into that telephone pole.
So the answer to your question is: the new generation, it's their generation now to take over the city.
It’s the same with me and basketball. I'm trying to release the program to another coach. A younger coach. It’s time for them to take over. My wife is my Assistant Coach. She's the second female in the state of Illinois to coach boys’ basketball. We've been coaching together and we know this is a generation where the kids need a father and mother figure in their life. We try to impact these lives. if I’d made the decision, I'd have stopped five years ago… but we let God make the decision about what we're gonna do.
What’s your fondest North Chicago memory?
Sports was huge in this town. The town shut down when there was a basketball game. You’d go in a store and they’d have signs that said “Open After The Game.” Most of my memories, even as a spectator, was to get to that high school gym to watch…The line started at the police station to get to the high school to get in.
During my time playing, if North Chicago won, the mayor of Waukegan would come to North Chicago and push our mayor in a wheelbarrow down Sheridan Road. The whole town was on Sheridan Road watching and cheering as the Waukegan mayor pushed the mayor of North Chicago in a wheelbarrow. Kukla was the Mayor and Sabonjian was the mayor of Waukegan, so he had to push Kukla down Sheridan Road. Whoever won the game. If we lost, the mayor North Chicago would have to go to Waukegan and do the same. That went on probably up until the mid-70s. Those are memories.
Some might have expected your answer to be about some big win, or an athletic achievement. But instead, you answer was about community and unity.
That's what I'm trying to say. It was so close-knit together, and I’m always going to be “Old North Chicago.”
Do you really want to know what North Chicago is about? Walk and talk with the people. You’ll see.
This conversation has been edited and condensed.