Leo to Induct 2 Local Men Into Hall of Fame

CHICAGO, IL - Two inductees of the Leo High School Hall of Fame this year hail from the Beverly-Mount Greenwood area.

Jim McEldowney, a 1977 graduate of the school and Beverly resident, "co-captained the nationally-recognized Catholic League basketball heavyweight champions, an extraordinary Tom O’Malley-coached team denied a vacated city championship title because city and state champion Hirsch refused to honor the city tradition in which the Catholic and Public League champions meet," according to a news release.

Bill Spelz, a 1949 graduate and Mount Greenwood resident, led Leo to City basketball championships in 1948 and 1949, after not making the team his freshman and sophomore years. He went on to work for the Chicago Police Department as a radio dispatcher for 34 years.

“All Leo men can pat themselves on the back for a job well done,” said Dan McGrath, president of Leo. “The alumni have kept the doors open, setting the stage for a new period of growth into the 21st Century, so we expect this year’s alumni dinner to be as packed as last year’s was.”

Also entering the Leo Hall of Fame this year will be Thomas Raymond “Ray” Caplis (1948), Sam R. Leno (1963), Mike Marks (1976) and teacher Mrs. Aurora Latifi.

The inductees will all be honored at the 62nd annual Leo Alumni Association banquet at the Chateau Del Mar in Hickory Hills on Friday, April 28. Ticket prices are $70 in advance and $80 at the door. For more details, contact Banquet Ticket Chairman John Gardner (708) 989-2727 or johnggardner@gmail.com

The school celebrates its 90th anniversary this year.