David John Kahn

David was the baby of the family. He didn't talk very much, he let his imaginary friend Trigger (a horse) conduct his conversations for him. I am his sister Christine. We were very close as we were only two years apart. He sometimes allowed his sister Ruthie to mother him, but he liked me better because she talked too much. He wasn't especially close to Joe as they were too far apart in age. He was highly sensitive with a heart of gold who couldn't hurt a flea. There wasn't a person in the world who could outdo his terrible puns. No one! We were born during World War two. We lived in Hyde Park, a lakefront neighborhood in Chicago. We spent our days running around the park near the Museum of Science & Industry, at the beach, or at the "Point" (a rocky piece of land which jutted out on lake Michigan) - when were not in school, that is. We were mostly unsupervised by our parents. This was how we spent the first years of our lifes until everything fell apart in 1950. Within a few short months we went from our home to the studio apartment, to the police station, to the Pacific Garden Mission (a shelter for skid row bums), to Juvie Hall (juvenile detention center), to a camp in Wisconsin which we had all to ourselves, to St. Joseph's and then to Maryville. Our stay at Maryville was pretty uneventful. After the trauma of the last seven months, even the places we deemed nice enough: Pacific Garden Mission, yes, with men down on their luck, homeless, drunks, drug abusers, what did we care? They were very sweet to us. We brought out their better angels, the camp we had to ourselves, oh, what a time we had there! St. Joseph's (except for the girl who tried to kill me). They all came to an end. So, here we are at Maryville. It's a good thing we were Catholic because we were turned over to the Catholic Charities instead of the State DCFS. The Catholics knew how to run things, that's for sure. They kept us busy, no idle time for us. But most of the busy was fun. Some of the busy was work. You do your work, you get fun, but work comes first. Everybody had a job and most of it was cleaning. Clean the dorms, Clean after meals. The older kids had a job after school. For the girls, mostly in the laundry, washing or ironing. I don't remember what else. Then it was free time. Baseball, volleyball, ping pong, swimming, basketball, these were organised events but didn't seem like it. movies on Saturdays and Sundays. Visitors once a month. "Brothers" Sunday twice a month. Camp once a year for two weeks where we got rid of the nuns and they got rid of us. All in all, not a bad deal. Only problem? We were too sheltered. The food? We called it "slop" and it wasn't so good Monday to Wednesday. After that, things got better and better. Breakfast was always okay, milk from the dairy, fresh bread, fresh butter, peanut butter, cold or hot cereal, cold was the best, hot, except for oatmeal, was okay too, and coffee preloaded with sugar and milk but only for six graders and up, sometimes hot cocoa I think. Thursday to Sunday it was the desserts that got us excited. Thursday was Bismarcks (jelly donuts) Friday was cake for dinner and maybe fudge, chocolate with walnuts or vanilla or maple for lunch, I don't remember what Saturday was, but Sunday was homemade ice cream! There was one remarkable dessert that I've never eaten anywhere but there. It was a warm cake, white as snow with honey or maple syrup drizzled on top. Is it my imagination that there were peaches in this cake? Maybe. All I know it was the most delicious cake I've ever had. The other remarkable meals were on feast days and holidays most of which there was no school Even though the nuns were French Canadian, the priests were Irish, so we even got St. Patrick's day off! After David left Maryville, he ended up going to Mt. Carmel high school on Stony Island avenue, a Catholic boys school noted for their athletic program. He did okay for awhile..then he began to get into trouble as young boys can do. Teenagers! He knocked around for a few years after high school, which he quit. Finally he settled and started to get some fairly decent jobs and was able to rent his own place. He even helped me quite a bit when I was expecting my second daughter. He would do anything for me..anything! When he was in his middle twenties he landed a job as head of the nursery at Lincoln Park Zoo having no experience whatsoever as a zookeeper. There was something special about David and animals that just shone through. He found his calling! He raised Bosie a baby elephant who loved him to death and who would remember him still. He raised baby gorillas, chimpanzees, bears, lion and tiger cubs, goats, snakes, whatever. He was very popular locally, was interviewed on local t.v. and radio, magazines..and then he blew it twice! Let's put it this way, what sounds like a great idea when you're plastered..well he was arrested, got probation,which ruined everything for him (his own fault). He suffered severe depression after that and never was able to recover. He died at the age of 46 and our hearts were broken. Don't get me wrong, everybody loved David, his sisters,their children, nieces and nephews, co-workers, bums off the streets, men, women ( who wanted to mother him), even the detective who arrested him. He was funny and sweet and big hearted. I'll miss him forever. Last updated October 13, 2015 10:15 pm