Jan 18, 2013

John Powers Rest In Peace

I'm sad to say that John Powers just died of a heart attack at 67. He didn't go to MPHS, but he was a Mount Greenwood guy (St. Christina and Brother Rice H.S.) who wrote some wonderful and successful books and stories about growing up back then (The Last Catholic in America, Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?, etc.). I imagine some of you knew him, as I did, from the neighborhood, from playing baseball with him as kids, from his writing, and from seeing him on stage or on television. Although not a close friend, I did run into John fairly often until we moved south in 2005. I remember John as a very friendly, humble gentleman who was always approachable, pleasant, and entertaining. He will be missed.







(Reuters) - John Powers, a U.S. author and motivational speaker who wrote about his experiences growing up Catholic in Chicago including the novel "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?" has died, his family said on Thursday.

Powers, 67, died late Wednesday of natural causes at his home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, his daughter Jacey Powers said.
A product of a working-class neighborhood, Powers wrote what he called humorous social portraits in columns to novels, a musical based on "Black Patent Leather Shoes" and more recently wrote and performed one-man shows.
"He cherished every moment and lived with tremendous passion and motivated others to do the same," Jacey Powers said.
Powers lived the last 25 years in Lake Geneva, spending almost all of his time writing on the front porch, she said.
"He had just finished rewriting his one-man show and wanted to put it up," Jacey Powers said. "(He) was always looking for new ways to reinvent himself and to find the next challenge and to live life better."
A self-described "horrible" student at a Catholic high school - his motivational speaking website says he graduated in the bottom 3 percent of his class - he liked to say he was the only student in school history to fail music appreciation.
Powers went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Loyola University Chicago, and a master's and doctorate from Northwestern University and became a college professor himself for six years.
Other books by Powers include "The Last Catholic in America" and "The Unoriginal Sinner and the Ice-Cream God."
Visitation and services are planned for Sunday at The Chapel on the Hill in Lake Geneva.
Powers is survived by his wife, JaNelle Powers, and daughters Jacey Powers and Joy Powers.
(Reporting by David Bailey in Minneapolis; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)





John R. Powers wrote three books about growing up in Mt. Greenwood, Chicago, which he calls Seven Holy Tombs in the book. If you have never read them, go to the library and get them or buy them. They are hilarious. 

The Last Catholic in America is about grade school kids and is the best.  Do Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? and The Unoriginal Sinner and the Ice-Cream God are about older kids and are also well worth reading.

Powers was born in 1945 and went to St. Christina. He writes about many of the neighborhood characters that we knew. 

Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? was made into a play. We saw it in Chicago. There were several nuns in attendance, which inhibited our reactions until we saw them laughing. Then we all laughed together.

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