“Be Like Mike”. The Chicago
Superstar? Well sort of…
This Chicago Mike is Mike “Sevi”
Severino who was an amazingly remarkable human being. We just lost him recently
at only 38 years old. One of the reasons Mike was dear to my heart was because
he enjoyed my blog. I used to joke with him that I had tens of followers. We
would laugh about the latest set of mishaps in my Keystone Cop like existence
in the Planned Pethood foster world.
I first met Mike when he was doing
transport and I was fostering Benjamin, a poodle/terrorist (oops terrier).
Benny was pulled from the pound where Mike volunteered so he knew what a
handful the little dude was. No matter how frustrated I became, Mike stayed
staunchly in the little tornado’s corner. He was able to identify a sweet
vulnerable spot in Benny that was nonexistent in other people’s eyes. Mike had
my back and more importantly, Ben’s back for 13 long months of returns and a
laundry list of crazy antics. He retained faith that there was a forever home
out there for Benny and he was right.
By this point, I really enjoyed
Mike’s company and was seated next to him at the Paw Hoorah (Planned Pethood’s
major fundraiser). Somehow the conversation turned to my career as the Quiz
Bowl coach at the high school where I worked. Our bond was about to be
cemented. I joked with him about how NO ONE calls my home between 7:30 and 8:00
because I am tuned in to Jeopardy! My friend Margaret and I play Final Jeopardy
together each and every evening. I tape the program if I am going to be gone,
seriously. Now, to most people, this would add up to: wow, this woman is a
whack job. Not Mike, no way. He blew my mind when he told me he had PASSED the
Jeopardy! test and was eligible to be on the show. Mike was wicked smart.
Sadly, he was never called to appear but I have no doubt that not only would he
have won, he would have kicked some serious butt far surpassing any Ken
Jennings record!
Mike experienced some very serious
health problems that culminated in losing his leg. I never once heard him
complain of his pain or frustration through months of rehab. And the minute the
doc gave him the green light, Mike put his volunteer hat back on at Planned
Pethood and the pound. At the same time he was dealing with his amputation, my
foster dog Freddie the boxer underwent grueling surgery on both of his back
legs. Again, Mike intuitively reached out to Freddie. They were like soul mates.
The next revelation is a bit embarrassing on my part but it just demonstrates
Sevi’s sense of humor and good nature. Not realizing that he was in the next
room at an adoption event, I was having a conversation with Fred in which I was
referring to him as “Peg Leg”. The next thing I know I hear this booming voice
coming through the door saying, “Judy, who are you calling a peg leg?”. This little bit of political incorrectness
cracked him up.
There were many great Sevi stories
related at his funeral service and I would like to repeat a few of my
favorites. His Aunt Nancy called him the perfect nephew, partially because he
would treat her to a Cubs game once a year. For all those years, she was under
the impression that they shared a fervent love of the Cubs but he ultimately
burst her bubble and admitted that there was no way but he hadn’t wanted to let
her down. She also told us that Mike sent flowers on Mother’s Day because her
son could not. He was serving in the military in Afghanistan.
When Mike joined the church he
attended, they only knew him as Sevi, kind of like Prince or Madonna, where a
one word name was all he needed. One of his friends’ kids called him Mr. Mike,
The Pizza Fairy. I have to believe that is the ultimate compliment from a
child. He had pride and love for his fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi, and they for
him. His brothers paid tribute to him attending the funeral 100 or so strong. Mike
and his dog Ruby had unconditional love for one another. Ruby tales (tails?)
abounded.
One other thing I learned was that
Mike was a freak about proper grammar. So am I. I corrected the grammar of my
students for years and mostly bit my tongue with my friends. So forgive me
Sevi, if there are any slip ups in this blog. The last time I saw Mike, he was
wheeling around the dogs at an adoption event giving them lunch meat . Lunch
meat! He even cooked for the special
needs dogs at the pound. He called it K9 Meals on Wheels.That is the picture I
have emblazoned on my brain. Mike in the zone making the dogs blissfully happy.
by Judy Szewczak
