Emmett James Whealan, 86, of Beverly, died May 13.

Funeral services were held May 20 from Blake-Lamb Funeral Home to St. Barnabas Roman Catholic Church. Interment followed at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.

He is survived by his children, Kelly (Brent) George, Kerry (Douglas) Dowling, Patrick (Natalie) Whealan and Erin (Richard Mayorga) Whealan; his grandchildren, Emmett, Kiernan, Brennan, Riley, Caitlin, Ryan, Edward, Jake, Miles, Sydney, Dion, Scott and Christopher (Victoria); his siblings, Patricia Hartigan, Mary Burd and Susan (Mark) Adorney; his sister-in-law, Anne Whealan; and many nieces, nephews and friends, including those he sponsored through Alcoholics Anonymous.

Whealan was a life-long South Side Irish Catholic Chicagoan, not necessarily in that order. He grew up in the parish of Christ the King Church before moving way, way south to raise his family in St. Barnabas parish.

He attended St. Ignatius College Prep and then attended the University of Notre Dame. There should not be any question that the line “Shake down the thunder from the sky,” from the Notre Dame fight song, was written specifically for Whealan.

After Notre Dame, Whealan would say, he drank himself out of law school. He then served a short enlistment in the U.S. Army and ran the induction center in Baltimore.

Whealan started in the trading field with Thomson McKinnon at the Chicago Board of Trade. A friend was opening a clearinghouse at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and needed a floor manager, so Whealan recommended himself. He became a member of the CME, and for the rest of his working life, Whealan made his real work trading cattle futures.

His kids never really knew if Whealan was kidding when he asked his wife, Dorothy, if their backyard could hold a delivery of cattle.

As an avid golfer and member of Beverly Country Club and Ridge Country Club, Whealan leaves behind a plethora of broken golf clubs and many (perhaps, most) embellished stories from partners and caddies. In the times before cell phones, if family or friends wanted to contact Whealan, they called the pro shop, the men’s card room or The Java. Whealan was an active member of Alcoholics Anonymous with 51 years of sobriety and countless assists.

His family expects that he will not rest in too much peace because Big Mama is telling him how right she was about everything (and she was) and planning their next adventure. And, there will always be a crossword puzzle to solve in pen.

When he entered heaven, Whealan greeted St. Peter and probably said, “Hi, my name is Emmett, and I’m an alcoholic.” As he always promised, it all worked out.

In lieu of flowers, donations are appreciated to the South End Alano Klub, 2508 Collins St., Blue Island, IL 60406.