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Chicago pays its respects to Stan Mikita

Paying tribute to a hockey legend like Stan Mikita can be a monumental task.

But when you have an understanding family, a sympathetic franchise and a loving, caring fan base, you get a touching and emotional day like Sunday at the United Center.

One in which the Mikitas not only made possible, but also one they will never forget.

The family opened its arms to a city by allowing fans to say goodbye to perhaps the greatest Blackhawks player of all time. Stan passed away peacefully at 78 last Tuesday after a long battle with Lewy Body Disease, which robbed him of all his memories.

"Stan was always my favorite guy," said Ron Dohl of Schaumburg. "He went from the bad guy to the good guy. It was an amazing transformation. …

"I've always admired Stan. Unfortunately it's been hard to see him suffer these last few years."

The Hawks made the day memorable by turning the East Atrium into a wonderful tribute to Mikita.

• Upon entering, fans were greeted with a gigantic Mikita poster on which they could sign messages for the family or express their gratitude to Stan.

• There was a video of not only Mikita's hockey highlights but also personal moments such as a hospital nurse wheeling the newborn Meg to a window more than five decades ago.

• Mikita's No. 21 banner was pulled from the UC rafters and hung over his closed casket.

The quiet, long line was led by JoAnn Schmitt-Berg of Chicago, Aaron Jakobsons of Elmhurst and Dohl. After them came hundreds who braved the heat so they could honor a man who meant so much to the Blackhawks, the city of Chicago, the NHL and the entire hockey world.

"I have to pay my respects and say goodbye," said Schmitt-Berg, who runs Blackhawks Cold Steel on Ice, a fan site on Facebook with almost 9,000 members. "He's been my favorite player since I was a kid."

Said Mount Prospect's Cathy Bradshaw, who came with her 16-year-old daughter Rachel: "You pay your respects to the greatest, and he's one of the greats. It's something you do when you're a fan of a team and someone's a part of that legacy."

After fans signed the poster and caught a glimpse of the video, they were able to meet and have a few words with Jill, Stan's wife of 55 years, three of his four children and eight of his nine grandchildren. Mikita's casket, draped with his No. 21 jersey, was flanked by two massive flower displays as well as his Hart, Art Ross and Lady Byng trophies.

Mikita was incredibly accessible during and after his career, so it's no surprise that plenty of fans had stories about meeting the Hall of Famer who pumped in 541 goals from 1958-80.

Lou Gallo, one of the first 10 people in line, donned a beat-up 21 sweater he purchased for $175 in 1972 from Gunzo's Hockey Headquarters. Gallo wore it when he played in some rat-hockey leagues, but there's one day the Franklin Park resident really wishes he had been wearing it.

"I wish I would have worn it one time when I got his autograph by Gate 3½," Gallo said. "Mikita came out and my mouth just dropped open.

"I said, 'Stan, please sign this picture of yours.' And he signed it. He was an awesome person."

Jessica Solomon of Hobart, Indiana, purchased an eight-foot picture of Mikita and asked fans to pay tribute by signing the back. Solomon hoped to get players and/or management to sign the front, and she plans to display it in her home as well as bring it to future Blackhawks events.

Laura Ritter never met Mikita, but her grandma - Albina Neuter - had that privilege a couple of times while working at the Oak Park Arms retirement community. Ritter said her grandma would come home and tell the family: "'I met Stosh and we talked about Czechoslovakia. We were born in the same city and he was singing the national anthem with me and dancing.'

"I thought (Stan) was a relative when I was really little," Ritter continued, chuckling. "He was always a family favorite."

In the end, it was a wonderful way to pay tribute to a wonderful man. A man who put his stamp across this city for decades. And a man who not only will never be forgotten but one who somehow always made every fan feel special and a part of his team.

"I was at a radio broadcast we did at WGN and we had Connie's pizza," Schmitt-Berg said. "And the last time I saw Stan was at a season-ticket-holder party - he was just taking pictures.

"He came out of line to say hello to me and he goes, 'Hey, remember that time we had that pizza together? I haven't had a pizza until the other day and I was thinking about you.'

"It really kind of touched me that here's Stan, eating a piece of pizza a couple of days before and he was thinking about me."

And on Sunday, tens of thousands were thinking about Stan.

Rest in peace, Stosh.

John Dietz/jdietz@dailyherald.comJessica Solomon of Hobart, Ind. attends the visitation for Stan Mikita at the United Center in Chicago on Sunday morning.
John Dietz/jdietz@dailyherald.comScenes from the visitation for Stan Mikita at the United Center in Chicago on Sunday morning.
John Dietz/jdietz@dailyherald.comScenes from the visitation for Stan Mikita at the United Center in Chicago on Sunday morning.
John Dietz/jdietz@dailyherald.comJoanne Schmitt-Berg of Chicago attended the visitation for Stan Mikita at the United Center in Chicago on Sunday morning.
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