Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/97177
���He was a remarkable listener, who probably frustrated some of us occasionally when we went to him seeking some neatly packaged counsel and advice.��� Secondly, Richard���s optimistic outlook, his wonderful sense of humor and his ability to enjoy a hearty laugh or a practical joke were constant reminders to all of us not to take ourselves too seriously. Whether engaged in playful banter with students, quick-witted exchanges with colleagues or just cheerful conversation with parishioners, he had a distinct ability to find the silver lining in every cloud. Throughout the progression of his dementia, he never complained, choosing instead to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Though it���s hard to imagine Dr. Dolezal unable to read or write or even converse without difficulty, when these abilities were diminished, he turned to his lifelong passion for music. I was reminded just yesterday that back in the old days, he and Mike Woll used to blast poor Mrs. Woll nearly out of her own home on Newport Avenue when they would crank up the volume on Mike���s stereo with bombastic, classical masterpieces. And Fr. Bob Massey has informed me that you could always tell when Richard was arriving on the campus of St. Francis Seminary back in the mid-1970s, because long before you ever saw Richard cruising up the tree-lined drive in his periwinkle blue Volkswagen Beetle, you would hear the distinctive strains of Vivaldi���s ���Gloria��� or a Bach fugue being broadcast loudly from the speakers on the back deck of his VW. Yes, Bishop Sklba, as rector of the seminary back then, you might have thought someone was practicing the organ in the seminary chapel, but in actuality it was Richard boisterously announcing his return to campus. In his latter years, Richard took great pleasure in attending everything from Latin School concerts and plays to the annual musical series performed by the Grant Park Symphony and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. He found much delight in sharing these experiences with others and then recalling the good times 52 L AT I N M AGAZINE with friends. So, clearly, Richard���s lighthearted, enthusiastic delight in the joy of living, even in the midst of struggle, was one of his defining characteristics. Though not known for hanging around very long at large social gatherings, another of Richard���s personality traits was that he truly enjoyed the good company of others. He was adept at the lively art of conversation, and people found him to be tremendously personable without being showy, flashy or phony. He used to joke that his mother could strike up a conversation with a lamppost. Though not that gregarious, Richard clearly was his mother���s son, for even strangers would respond to his quiet self-confidence and his cordial demeanor. He had a unique ability to put people at ease and to converse with them on virtually any topic of interest to them. You know, having hung around with Humphrey Cordes and Dick Dolezal when I was a young teacher, I quickly concluded that between the two of them there probably wasn���t much that they collectively didn���t know. They were both so well-read and so well-informed that it could be intimidating to be in their midst. But neither of them boastfully displayed his erudition. They would simply enjoy what for them was a lively banter but what appeared to me to be a lofty exchange of information and sophisticated ideas. And while Humphrey had a distinct edge when it came to discussing any sort of athletic competition, Richard more than held his own when the conversation turned to literature, music and the fine arts. One can only imagine the dialogue that they are engaged in now. Of course, yet another of Richard���s defining personality traits was that he was a naturalborn teacher. He was so passionate about his chosen profession that his students could always tell that for him teaching was much