Friday, November 9, 2012
Thousands of mourners filled the Saint Rita Shrine Chapel and thousands more lined the streets of Beverly to pay their final respects to a fallen firefighter and beloved neighbor.
The rows of firefighters stretched on for as far as the eye could see. Flags flew and bagpipes played as the casket of one of their own was raised into Engine 123, one last ride for the fallen hero. Capt. Herbie Johnson, 54, died after injuries sustained while battling a fire on Nov. 2. He was laid to rest on Thursday after an overflowing crowd at St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel remembered the man they knew and loved. "I can stand up here for a year and talk about the fun, the laughter and the tears that we all shared," said his brother John Johnson while delivering a eulogy for his older brother. Read More: Neighborhood Says Goodbye to Herbie Johnson Johnson is survived by his wife Susan and children Thomas, Laurie and Michael "Mickey…
Beverly and Mt. Greenwood residents and schoolchildren turn out to say goodbye to CFD Capt. Herbie Johnson on Thursday. View the photo gallery and watch the video.
An American flag draped Herbie Johnson’s regular seat at the Cork and Kerry Pub on Western Avenue. An open bottle of Johnson's favorite beer--Bud Light--sat on the bar top. Connect with Patch: Beverly-Mt.Greenwood / Oak Lawn / Evergreen Park “There’s a lot of flag draped chairs in bars all over this neighborhood,” a patron cracks wise about fun-loving Herbie, the bigger-than-life, CFD fire captain who died in the line of duty on Nov. 2. Bartender Debra dabs her eyes with a napkin as she watches Johnson’s funeral on one of the many flat-screen TVs in the bar. “I knew Herbie for ten years. He came in here every Friday that he wasn’t on duty and sat in that chair over there,” she says, pointing to the flag-draped stool in the corner beneath …
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
With a line that stretched around Saint Rita, thousands of well-wishers came to pay their respects to fallen firefighter Capt. Herbert Johnson.
Two ladders stand tall and an American flag hangs in between. Below, the line of firefighters in uniform, neighbors and friends stretches around the Saint Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel. They are all here to pay their respects to Capt. Herbie Johnson and share their condolences with his family. "It's a great send off for a true hero," said Ted Johnson, Herbie's younger brother. Those who knew Johnson describe him as a fun-loving man who was devoted to his family and the department. "I think my brother a true hero," said John Johnson, another brother and member of the Chicago Police Department. The mood inside was described as very solemn by Dan McMahon, Johnson's brother-in-law. Photos are displayed and an American flag that was present …
