Sigma Alpha Epsilon - University of Illinois

SPRING 2020 THE LION TATTLER Sigma Alpha Epsilon Illinois Beta Housing LLC 1856 Sheridan Rd. Evanston, IL 60201-3837 Address Service Requested Remembering John Sylwestrak, DDS '72 T hroughout our lives most of us are lucky to have a few close friends. I have been fortunate to have had many. One of my closest friends passed away recently, I will miss him immensely. His name was John Sylwestrak, DDS '72, and we met when I came to the University of Illinois during the spring of my senior year of high school for Spring Formal Rush. This was quite the hectic weekend—I visited 20 houses initially and after three days, I narrowed my choices to three. I was asked to pledge Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and I kind of figured that's where I would end up since my older brother had just graduated and he had been an ΣΑΕ. All three of my brothers eventually joined ΣΑΕ: Douglas, M.D. '68, Daryl '75, and Dan '76. In the fall of 1969, I returned to Champaign as a "know-it-all freshman." That didn't last very long as I was now a student in a difficult school and a pledge at a prominent fraternity. Fortunately, I hit it off early with several of the brothers, including John. We both had the same major, both loved to play cards with several of our fraternity brothers, but most of all we both loved golf. After graduation, John and I both went on to dental school—John to the University of Illinois in Chicago and I to Loyola Dental School in Maywood, Illinois. At times we both were so short of money that pretty much any way to make a dollar was just fine. John called me one year just before Christmas and asked, "Could you use $125?" Of course I told him, "I could. Just tell me where and when?" What he did not tell me was that we were to be guinea pigs for a drug trial. For the $125, I had eight IVs and two NG tubes placed over 10 hours. Some "friend" John turned out to be. However, we did get our money and it made for a better Christmas. As the years progressed, John and I were in each other's weddings, advanced in our careers and watched our children grow into adults. We always kept in touch, but with both our busy schedules this usually involved a phone call here and there, a couple of dinners during the winter months and the occasional vacation together. But there was always one thing that kept us in contact, our mutual love of golf and the many ΣΑΕ friends we had made. John was always a man about the details, whether it was a discussion about the playing of a hand of bridge, a dental procedure or, heaven forbid, golf. There was one question that you would never want to have asked of John, "What do you think this putt is going to do?" You could just hear the collective groan from the rest of the foursome. John would pretty much reply something like this: "It's now four o'clock; they mowed the greens at 6 a.m., they have had a lot of play and most players hit this green on the right side. So, it's probably a triple breaker for the first 50 feet then it's straight for the last 30." That was John: he loved the details. Eventually I stopped asking. I started adding up all the various golf events that we played together: charity events, play days, my member guests at Rockford CC, and his member guests at The Club at Wynstone. I arrived at a total of over 100. We played in each other's member guest event for 40 years as partners. We never won. On two occasions he could not attend my event; I won both times. The one time I could not attend his; he won. Perhaps we should have found different partners years ago. After dental school I took my very first golf trip with John and Tom Gust '75. We went to Marco Island and Naples, and we had a wonderful time. My last golf trip, just this past January, was also to Naples, where I played with John. Our last round of golf together and dinner afterwards meant so much to me. Life does have a way of coming full circle. It certainly did with our golf. I have enjoyed John's company and friendship from the day we met. My heart aches for his many friends, his extended family, but most of all to Mary Lou, Emily and John Jr. John, as you join Chapter Eternal, I want you to know that I loved you like a brother and I will miss you forever my friend. In the Bonds, Dale Drake, DDS '73 www.illiniΣΑΕ.com Sigma Alpha Epsilon—Illinois Beta Follow Us Online f

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