Comments and Insights into the life of Ed Nicklaus

    1. You are here today in this church, because Ed  wanted  you,  his  family,
       to be here with him. He knew it would be easier for you to come
       here, then to come to Chicago, as you all live around here.

    2. He wanted you because you meant so much to him.

   3.This church and street has meaning  for  Mary  too.  She  was  born  on
       this street and was baptized here at St. Columbkille's.

   4. A friend brought his wife here,  and  she's  the  person  who  stood  up
       for Mary during this difficult time.


   5. Ed was the second youngest in a family of seven. It  was  a  close  family
       during their growing up years. Ed had a quiet but close feeling for
       his mother. He  would  always  tell  about  his  mother  who  would  bake
       cookies and do other household chores. There is an old saying in
       psychology that if a man has a good  relation  ship  with  his  mother,
       that will carry through in his relationship  with  other  people.  This
       was certainly true for Ed.

   6. Ed was born and raised in Parkersburg. He attended school there. He
       was a good student and sang in many of the school plays.
   7. When Ed graduated from  high  school,  there  were  no  jobs  available.
       So he went back to high school for another year  just  to  keep  busy
       and keep learning. After that the parish priest  got  him  a  scholarship
       at Loras. While there he continued to be a  good  student.  He  also  was
       chosen to sing in the vested choir. He remained at  Loras  for  2-1/2
       years. Two days after World War II was declared, he and other
       classmates joined the air corps.


   8. He was sent into combat in Italy and  flew  52  combat  missions.  On  one
       of them there was little  chance  that  his  plane  would  survive.  He
       asked God to save him so that  he  could  take  care  of  Mary, the  young
       lady he met at Loras. Mary was a  Clarke  student,  and  a  sophomore  at
       that time. They met at the Clarke tennis courts. The boys were better
       tennis players than the girls of those days, and not just a little better,
       but a lot better, and soon the girls gave up. The next day Ed  asked
       Mary to one of the Clarke-Loras dances and they have been together
       ever since. They were married in June, 1945 in Milwaukee.

    9. In August of that year, the war had ended. By September of 1945 Ed
       was enrolled at the  University  of  Wisconsin  in  Madison.  Father
       Luby was at the University too, and he continued the same
       friendship with Mary and Ed as he had in Dubuque. In fact Father
       Luby helped them move from the trailer park where they had
       lived until they found their first apartment. Ed golfed with Father
       Luby and we chaperoned dances at the University parish house for
       students.

   10. After Ed completed his degrees in Economics, he and Mary moved
       to Chicago where they have lived ever since. He was employed with
       a number of companies in  the  Chicago  area  as  an  economist  and
       management consultant. He also taught night school at various
       universities in Chicago. His job required  much  travel  in  foreign
       countries.

    11. Ed was a kind and loving man to his wife and everyone around
       him. He always thought of the other person. He had a friendly
       smile and a good word to say about everyone.

    12. Mary never remembers him in a  bad  mood.  At  times  he  was  sad,
       living with the frustrations and disappointments that many of us
       experience. The experience of having been close to death
       influenced him more than anything else in his life.

    13. Ed prayed every day that he would outlive his wife. He knew how
       hard it would be if she were left alone. God did not grant that request
       ... and only God knows why.

    14. Last week it was 50 years ago that Oklahoma - the first great
     musical played on Broadway. Ed was sent to study at Harvard after
     combat for extra schooling. On his way there he stopped in a New
     York city USO (a military service person's club). There he was given
     a ticket for the Oklahoma play. The musical was such a hit that
     there were virtually no tickets available anywhere except at that
     USO.

 15. Ed had many wonderful experiences like this in his lifetime. He was
     grateful and thankful. He lived by his motto - "Do the Right thing,
     for yourself and others, and you will have no regrets  only good
     feelings about yourself."

  16. And with that kind of feeling of joy and satisfaction his life was
     ended. Til the end he stood tall, and had all of his faculties, mind
     and body. Who could ask for more? God was good to him all the
     way.

[This article was distributed at Ed Nicklaus' funeral in Dubuque Iowa.]