Jimmy Liptak – Ave Atque Vale

How bittersweet it is that now we can only celebrate, with laughter and with tears, the joyful life of Jimmy Liptak, that large-souled wonder who dedicated himself for so many years to helping behaviorally and physically-challenged kids.  He was larger than life, with an easy smile and warm laugh, who would light up with infectious passion talking about the latest challenges, and successes, in his work.  We will savor his memory and will forever, as long as we are here, tell the stories – his exploits as a Chicago CTA bus driver once driving off route to safely deliver a little old lady in distress; his enigmatic love of camp skits of cheesy song (“I Am a Fine Musician”) and fractured drama (“Squaw Bury Shortcake”); his driving a borrowed, old commercial truck all over Chicagoland for years picking up and dropping off disabled kids and young adults for gatherings and outings, and every time but once producing the right match up of people and wheelchairs at his destination; his affinity for philosophical inquiry encapsulated in his perennial question “Can you get a sundae on a Monday?”  Eventually fate drew Jimmy, the pride of Cicero and Quigley South, away from his hometown, first to the West Coast and then to the East, to work and to raise a beautiful family, but he kept close connections with friends and family back in Chicago.  Jimmy and his sister Marion were longtime MDA volunteers and were among the founding leaders of Horizon.  Here are some memories:


Jimmy in 1978 at MDA Camp Ravenswood leading everyone in song – probably "I am a Fine Musician", which was the only one he knew (or maybe it just seemed that way!)

Actually, when I referred to "cheesy" song above I wasn't kidding -- the other song Jimmy knew, and loved to lead everyone in singing, was what he called the "Cheese Song" [also known as "Roll Me Over the Ocean"]:  "It's cheese, it's cheese, it's cheese that makes the mice go round, it's cheese, it's cheese, it's cheese that makes the mice go round," variations of which go on seemingly ad infinitem and occasionally ad nauseum (perhaps it was only the camp food!).  Actually, it's not as bad as it reads on paper -- trust me on this one.  In fact, I have an audio clip of Jimmy leading the camp in this very song from a 1981 lunch, which I had hoped to have posted up by now, but I haven't yet figured out how to incorporte an MP3 file into this blog.  



 
At MDA Camp Ravenswood East in 1975 (L to R):  Ron Balsamo, Jimmy Liptak, Bob Medrala

At MDA Camp Ravenswood East 1975: Bev Bjork, Jimmy Liptak, and Marion Liptak, with Bob Macak sitting.

At MDA Camp 1980 (L to R):  Jimmy Liptak, Danny Martin, Rich Westley












At MDA Camp Ravenswood West 1978:  Jimmy Liptak and Jan Mozack, with young camper David McSweeney

At MDA Camp Ravenswood West 1978:  Jimmy Liptak, with Freddy Martin on the right, in front of the Cuckoo's Nest
















At MDA Camp Hastings 1981: Jimmy with long-time camper and good friend Roger Gordon, near the spot later made famous by Jimmy as "Gordon's Leap".

[Above:] At the Spring, 1978, Roast for Rich Westley on his leaving for the Peace Corps, on Chicago's South Side: (Back L to R:) Pete Muzzy, Mike Angelico, Jeff Sader, Mike Oliver, Johnny Angelico, Dean Krone; (Front L to R:) Jimmy Liptak with Kevin Abell on his lap, Tom Musillami, Rich Westley, Rick Balsamo, Danny Martin with David Abell on his shoulders, and Mike Engels.

At the Jury Room Tavern on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago, directly across the street from the Biograph Theater, on December 20, 1985: (L to R) Rick Balsamo, Jimmy Liptak, & Danny Martin.   


At the 1981 Horizon Winter Camp at Camp Villa Marie on Pistakee Lake in Northern Illinois, New Year's Eve Party 12/31/81 - 1/1/82:  With flowers in his hair, Jimmy Liptak, with Bugaloo Alvin James showing him some moves

At MDA Camp Hastings 1982 (L to R): Tim Coleman, Johnny Angelico, Jimmy Liptak, Bob Medrala, and Rick Dsida

At MDA Camp Hastings 1981: The One & Only Jimmy Liptak, Hail & Farewell

Rick Balsamo