Eddie Sitzman made a lot of connections in his short life. And the range of the small communities he became part of in Forest Park and Oak Park affirms the intentionally loving villages we live in.
Our Jessica Mordacq covered the dedication last week of the batting cages at Play It Again Sports in Eddie Sitzman’s name. Sitzman, who lived well with Down syndrome, worked at the Forest Park sports gear shop over recent years. And he loved the batting cages that owner Erich Krumrei installed a while back in his Forest Park location.
Krumrei spoke with candor and care when he acknowledged some initial bumps as Sitzman joined the staff. “We stopped trying to cater to his disability and to cater to the person,” he said.
Mark Sitzman, Eddie’s dad, knew that person best and said, “Eddie was a really capable, confident, kind person and super-competitive. He was just a natural athlete.” An understatement perhaps for a person who earned 59 Special Olympics medals across a wide range of sports.
Mark also thanked the staff at Play It Again for making for his son a place that worked for everybody.
But the retail spot on Madison Street was just one of the local entities where Eddie was welcomed and made himself known. He was a regular volunteer at the Oak Park Fire Department, at Wonder Works Children’s Museum, in preschool classrooms at Ascension School and the Children’s School. He was a mainstay at Opportunity Knocks, the River Forest nonprofit, where Eddie was among the Warriors. Eddie was also part of Oak Park and River Forest High School’s CITE program, which offers extended services to young people who have moved past the high school years.
Eddie was 21 when he died last year. His legacy is large. His place in these caring villages is deep. And he is deeply appreciated.
