At high noon Tuesday, death did not have the last word.
It was a private, exclusive, invitation-only memorial service held in one of the city’s historic churches for those closest to Rocky Wirtz.
It probably could have been held in a stadium.
Approximately 900 friends, family and business partners of Wirtz walked into the service at Michigan Avenue’s Fourth Presbyterian church to eulogize the Blackhawks owner, who died two weeks ago at age 70.
A larger, public goodbye is planned for Rocky Wirtz on Wednesday at the United Center.
But on Tuesday, it was a love fest of movers and shakers in the worlds of sports, politics, media and business.
Those who filed into the church pews were like beads of a well-worn rosary; a litany of Blackhawk notables including free agent Patrick Kane and first round No. 1 Blackhawks draft pick Connor Bedard; former Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville and NHL chief Gary Bettman, as well as Blackhawk players sporting gold “ROCKY” lapel pins.
It had blossomed into a stadium of family, friends, business partners and Chicago headline notables: former Mayor Lori Lightfoot; former Gov. Pat Quinn, restaurateurs Phil and Karen Stefani and Steve and Peggy Lombardo, former Cook County Assessor Tom Tully and TV legends Jay Levine and Maryanne Childers.
And at the altar, surrounded by Rocky’s favorite yellow roses were powerful men struggling mightily for words in their eulogies, breaking their reverie of Rocky respect with pauses that showed their grief over his sudden passing.
White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, a tough guy and Chicago sports giant, talked about his admiration for Rocky and their friendship. He spoke of Rocky’s ability to turn things around. But then, Reinsdorf suddenly choked up while speaking of the loss of his “close” and cherished friend.
Wirtz’s business partner Charles Merinoff told of “this loss of Rocky” and how blessed someone is to have “a family and a wife who cherished him.”
Rocky’s old schoolmate Johnny Miller remembered a young Rocky cleaning out the animal pens from dawn until dusk on the Wirtz farm when he was young. He also reflected on Rocky’s “moral compass and steadiness; championing the fans; feeling the players were an extension of his family; accepting his kids unconditionally even when his young son Danny once dyed his hair purple.”
And Rocky’s son, Danny, eulogized a treasured father who surprisingly loved to dance and gave nicknames to his four children: “Dan the Man” (Danny); “HIll Dill” (Hillary); “Kendall Girl” (Kendall) and “Lizzie” (Elizabeth) — and always loved to tell them, “Just figure it out!”
“Most of all Dad loved us,” Danny Wirtz said in closing. “And we will figure it out, inspired always by our wonderful dad.”
Amen.
