Beverly (B J ) Davis (Reardon)

To those that are left behind, my condolences.

Mike, thanks for serving our Country and being a friend.

God Bless,  B J

John Hill

Mike

It was less than a year ago when we sat together at the reunion and reminisced.  I sensed that you were not happy then, but hoped that everything was being worked out for you.  You were a humble guy.

You know, we had our email exchange with tom and Jerry about whether you were on the field when we beat Lane.

You weren't Mike, but you should know in heaven that we wouldn't have had the chance to score if you hadn't caught my wobbly 4th nand 5 pass with a minute and a half to go to allow the drive to succeed.

So, as you introduce yourself to your new friends in heaven, you can tell them. Mike, that you made the catch

which won Ciry for the Bulldogs in '62.

God Bless You

Your friend and teammate

John Hill

Number 11

Gerald Hicks

Mike Callahan was a champion as a football palyer and as a man. He was a City Champion, the starting left end and starting safety on the 1962 Schurz City Championship Football team. As the starting left end, he was not only the best receiver on the team but also set a Schurz school record for the player catching the most passes in a single season. I believe it was 37 passes. To a large extent, Mike was our pass offense.

But if you read Mike's Classmate Profile, he never mentioned that achievement. What he said about his time on that team was that he had been fortunate to have been a member of that team, as he  put it a "unique group of players who were unselfish and had great character". In saying that, without realizing it, Mike had described himself. He was always modest, unselfish, loyal to his team mates and friends, and had great character. Mike was always cheerful, funny, and had a great sense of humor, which he was still displaying after the Reunion in a series of emails he initiated back and forth between him and John Hill, Tom Smith, and me, much to all our amusement, the subject of which was "Was Callahan on the field when Hill scored?" and upon which he claimed he needed assistance because his memory wasn't what it used to be, although he expressed genuine skepticism that ours were any better.  

However, in fact, in reminiscing with him at the Reunion and after, I learned that Mike had a great memory about our team, the guys on the team, the games we played and what he described as "some great moments in our young lives".

Mike was the Co-Captain of Mr. Swider's 1960 Frosh-Soph Footbal team and easily one of the best-liked members of the team. Back then Mike became a ringleader in that "unique group of players" in developing the committment we eventually came to share to "winning City". During the next three years, we not only developed ourselves into the team that came from behind to win against Dunbar and against Morgan Park, and then, finally, beat Lane and won the City Championship when John Hill crossed the goal line in the closing moments of the game, but we developed a special relationship as team mates and friends that now has lasted over 50 years. 

As John Hill graciously pointed out in his eulogy for Mike, even though John was the one of us that eventually crossed the goal line, that would never have happened and we would never have won the City Championship if Mike hadn't made the clutch pass reception just a minute and a half before that on a 4th down and 5 pass to him, to keep that final drive going. Because of that special relationship as team mates and friends, both on and off the field, that Mike had a lot to do with developing, in which we players (and coaches) trusted each other and believed in each other, when it all came down to it being up to Mike to save the drive by making that catch, if we had thought about it, we would have realized that we fully expected that Mike would come through, and, of course, he did.

Mike was one of the finest men I have ever known and it has been a privilege and an honor to have been his team mate and his friend.  

Thanks for everything, Mike.

Jerry Hicks 

Edward Schalk

Mike was a humble person and a great athlete. Had a long conversation with him at the reunion. He will be missed.

Ed Schalk

Bill Sluka

I enjoyed talking with Mike at last year's reunion.  He was a true

high school friend, good student, good athlete, and overall good guy.

Mike, thank you for serving our country.  We will miss you.  Please rest

in peace.

Bill Sluka

Linda Roth (VAN Dyke)

Mike and I knew each other since we were 5 years.  Irving Park Grammer School.  We shared our cookies!

We were in the same Confirmation Class from Irving Park Lutheran Church.  And then on to Schurz H.S.  graduating together.  He had the same wonderful sense of humor, that I remembered, at our Reunion.  He was an amazing athlete,   (Go Schurz!  especially against Lane!)   a long time friend, always with the twinle in his eyes, and a mischievous smile.    His "come-backs" at our Reunion were typical Mike.  So many shared memories.  Thank you.

God Bless.  Rest in Peace.

Linda

Ruth Mazorana (Anderson)

Mike and I met in kindergarten at Irving Park too and went on to graduate from Schurz together...I loved his wonderful sense of humor and ability to remember so many humorous details about fellow classmates and school memories, but most of all I loved that he met, fell in love with, and married my dear friend, Peggy Duff...what a great couple you were!  May you now rest in peace... Look for fellow Irving Parker and Schurzite, Clive Church, I think he could use a few laughs and a good friend...what a great group of friends from Irving Park and Schurz...thanks for the memories!

God bless...Ruth(ie)