Leon D. Finney, Jr.

Reverend Dr. Leon D. Finney, Jr. was the publisher of the Woodlawn Observer, a real estate developer, a community organizer, a professor, and Pastor of the Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church. He worked on local and national political campaigns and provided deep support of the Woodlawn community. In 1969 he was the President of the Woodlawn Community Development Corporation. He served as Vice-Chairman of the Chicago Public Housing Authority, and was a board member of Chicago Planning Commission.

He moved to Chicago from Mississippi as a child. His father, Leon, Sr., was the namesake owner of the Chicago-famous Leon’s Bar-B-Q restaurant.

Veteran: Marines

Alum
Goddard College
McCormick Theological Seminary
Nova University
University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana
Hyde Park Academy High School

---

Honorary Reverend Dr. Leon D. Finney, Jr. WAY

East 63rd Street between South Stony Island Avenue and South Blackstone Avenue

 

Approved: June 2023

Ward: 05
Alderman: Desmon Yancy
Neighborhood: Woodlawn

b. July 7, 1938 in Mississippi
d, September 4, 2020. Age 82

---

Source

20231659
2020

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Finney_Jr.

https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/reverend-dr-leon-d-finney-jr

https://abc7chicago.com/leon-finney-rev-dr-death/6580115/

Louis Albert Fitzgerald, Jr.

Louis Fitzgerald was a life-long civic servant in Chicago. Regional Director of the Midwest Division for the US Department of Labor. He also served on the Chatham Avalon Community Council. Louis was a talk show host of “Conversation Peace” on Channel 26. He also hosted talk radio shows on WIND and WVON.

Veteran: Army

---

Honorary Louis Albert Fitzgerald, Jr. Way

Honore Street, from South 84th Street to South 86th Street

 

Approved: April 2022

Ward: 21
Alderman: Brookins
Neighborhood: Auburn Gresham

b. January 26, 1929 in Chicago
d.

---

Source

2022912

Rudy Malnati, Jr.

Rudy Malnati, Jr. opened Pizano’s Pizza in 1991 in the tradition his father Rudy, Sr. mastered at the original Pizzaria Uno, where the Chicago style deep dish pizza tradition was born in 1943.

His half-brother founded the namesake “Lou Malnati’s Pizzaria.”

Rudy was also a Chicago civic leader who was the Director of the Chicago Air & Water Show for 30 years. He attended every Air & Water Show since it began in Chicago in 1959. He also coordinated the Milwaukee, Gary, and Rockford shows. The Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds made him an honorary member of their squadrons.

---

Honorary Rudy Malnati, Jr. Way

State Street from Chestnut to Delaware Street

 

Approved: April 2022

Ward: 2
Alderman: Hopkins
Neighborhood: Gold Coast

d. December 24, 2021. Age 65

near 864 N. State Street - Pizano’s Pizza

---

Source

https://www.pizanoschicago.com/about-pizanos/

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20211226/rudy-malnati-jr-member-of-pizza-dynasty-director-of-air-and-water-show-dead-at-65

2022476

Yulelander Seals

Yuleander Seals, “YOLO 150” as he was known, was a City worker who died while performing his duties; he was hit by a service vehicle.

---

Honorary Yulelander “YOLO 150” Seals Way

100 W. 53rd street

 

Approved: 2021

Ward: 3
Alderman: Dowell
Neighborhood: Washington Park

---

Source

Raul R. Montes, Sr.

Raul Montes was a civic leader and activist in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago. He was the Superintendent of the 22nd Ward for Streets and Sanitation from 1990 until he retired in 2010. Raul established block clubs which improved the homes and made the neighborhood safer for children and the elderly. Previously, Raul worked for the Chicago Department of Aviation and the Chicago Department of Human Services. City Council Member, “Chuy” Garcia, appointed Raul a Democratic Precinct Captain for the 6th Precinct. “Chuy” later became US Rep Jesus “Chuy” Garcia.

He came to the US from Chihuahua, Mexico in 1965 and worked at Marshall Field’s department store on State Street as a busboy. By 1967 he worked at Western Electric, where he met his wife. They raised their three children in the Little Village neighborhood.

---

Honorary Raul R. Montes, Sr. Way

South Kolin between 26th Street and 27th Street

 

Approved: 2021

Ward: 22
Alderman: Rodriguez
Neighborhood: Little Village

b. August 9, 1948. Chihuahua, Mexico
d. Age 72. COVID-19

---

Source

Sanford and Carol Goldman

Long time residents of Rogers Park who were leaders of the Community Council and well known by young and old alike. Sanford “Sandy” wrote an opinion blog about neighborhood matters and was a local activist. He had worked for Broyhill Furniture for 25 years and had been the owner of a local video store, and ran the “Hi Neighbor Day” carnival. Carol worked on projects for seniors, housing resources, and fundraising for the community, and was a member of the garden club. They traveled the world together and were a very social couple.

---

Honorary Goldman Way

North Ashland Avenue between Touhy Avenue and Estes Avenue

 

Approved: 2021

Ward: 49
Alderman: Hadden
Neighborhood: Rogers Park

Carol
d. June 14, 2021. Age 84.
Sanford
d. June 24, 2021. Age 89.

---

Source
https://rogerspark.org/home.html

Phillip Jackson

Phillip Jackson was the founder of the Black Star Project and a former Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) and Chief of Education for the City of Chicago. Prior to entering pubic service he had a 24-year career with Kroch’s and Brentano’s booksellers, rising from stock room to Sr. Vice President of Operations.

Among his numerous recognitions, he was honored as an Education Champion of Change at the White House during the Barack Obama administration, and as Education Man of the Year at the Bud Billikin Parade.

In 1996 he started the Black Star Project to eliminate the education gap among low income black and latinx youth. Black Star focused on tutors, mentors, and parents - including the Million Father March, taking their kids to school on the first day of the school year. Educational programs include: Saturday University, Math Boot Camp, Reading Academy, and private tutoring.

Phillip Jackson was born into the Altgeld Garden public housing project in Chicago and later lived in the Bronzeville neighborhood.

Education:

National Lewis University
Roosevelt University
DuSable High School
Chicago Public Schools

---

---

Honorary Phillip Jackson Parkway

35th Street between South Rhodes Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive

 

Approved: April 2021

Ward: 4
Alderman: Sophia King
Neighborhood: Bronzeville

Black Star Project
3509 S. Martin Luther King Drive

b. September 22, 1950. Chicago.
d. November 4, 2018. Age 68.

---

Source

Black Star Project
Block Club Chicago
TheHistoryMakers.org
GameChangersProject.org

Esther Golar Way

Esther Golar served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2006 until her death in 2015. Esther believed in strong communities and fiercely supported the rights of the elderly, families, and the struggling. She served on committees on a wide range of issues including; education, healthcare, and crime. She was the voice of the 6th District on the Southwest side of Chicago, and sometime she delivered her message on the House floor in song. Before her career in politics she was a community organizer and worked for the Community Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS). She moved to Chicago from Mississippi as a child.

Alumni
Crane Technical High School
Malcolm X College

---

Honorary Esther Golar Way

South Racine Avenue from West 51st Street to West Garfield Boulevard

Approved: January 2017

Ward: 20
Alderman: Cochran
Neighborhood: Englewood

b. 1944. Merigold, Mississippi
d. 2015. Age 71.

 

---

Source

https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-state-rep-esther-golar-dies-met-0922-20150921-story.html

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-state-rep-esther-golar-dies-met-0922-20150921-story.html

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150921/englewood/esther-golar-dead-state-representative-had-served-6th-district-for-9-years

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_Golar