GEORGE J. CHIOLES

George J. Chioles A funeral Mass for George J. Chioles 83, is 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 29, at St. Mary of Vernon Church, 236 Route 45, Indian Creek, Ill. Interment will follow in Elmwood Cemetery, River Grove. Visitation is Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. at Kristan Funeral Home, 219 W. Maple Ave. (Route 176, two blocks west of Route 45), Mundelein, and one hour prior to the Mass on Monday at church from 10 to 11 a.m. George was born on March 21, 1928; Chicago born and bred. George died suddenly, of natural causes, at his home on Aug. 21, 2011. George was raised on Chicago's West side at Chicago Avenue and Damen. He graduated from Columbus Grammar School in 1942 and attended Crane High School, where he lettered in football and track. He graduated Class of 1946. George's father, James, had a dry cleaners which also cleaned and blocked men's hats. This is where George shined shoes. He went on to work at Robert Hall Clothing Store. After George tired of the clothing business, he went to work for his dad who had opened a Wimpy's Burger Joint on Milwaukee Avenue in Jefferson Park and enlisted George to help cook and run the business. In Sept. of 1950, George met his wife, the late Joan Chioles (nee Kohl) at a dance hall in Delavan, Wis. They married on July 1, 1951, and were married for 60 years. George continued to work with his dad until 1960, when he ventured out on his own to remodel an old Rambler dealership into Demetri's Restaurant & Banquet Hall on Elston Avenue. With enormous help from Joan's brothers the once car dealership became pretty swank. Unfortunately, that business failed, but in 1963 with a borrowed $5000 for a down payment, George went back to Jefferson Park and bought an early 1900s tavern at 4925 N. Milwaukee Ave. He and his wife, Joan, went to work remodeling the old tavern. The two worked together to create a warm atmosphere with black and white checkered table clothes and cafe curtains in the windows. The building sat on the very corner of Gale Street and Milwaukee Avenue and soon the name Gale Street Inn was etched in the windows. The first year Gale Street was known for its Texas-sized beef and ham sandwiches and the baskets of peanuts which patrons were welcomed to toss the shells to the floor. In 1964 George brought on board an extremely talented chef, the late Lewis Artis, and "Louie" helped George and Joan to bring baby back ribs to the Northwest side of Chicago. Like all good Greek restaurant owners, George enlisted his two eldest children, Georgene and Jim, at the tender ages of 10 and 9, to help with dishwashing, busing tables, and by the age of 14, were already waiting tables and do not forget kitchen duties. No child labor laws back then! Jim went on to further his cooking education at Washburn Trade School, where he became a chef. In 1968 the City of Chicago issued an Eminent Domain Order and condemned the small tavern to make way for the Jefferson Park bus terminal. George and Joan were able to purchase a small piece of vacant property directly across the street at 4914 N. Milwaukee Ave., where they built a new Gale Street Inn which opened on May 1, 1969. Now famous for their fall-off-the-bone ribs, the newly built Gale Street Inn took flight. In 1974, Joan's brother Bob, took George to see an old lake-resort building on the East side of Diamond Lake in Mundelein. George loved the location and knew this is where he wanted to open his suburban Gale Street Inn. Saving the two story section of the late 1800s building, his vision to tear down the single story section of the old Happy Hollow Resort and add on a new dining room and bar to fruition and George with his son, James, opened the Gale Street Inn, Diamond Lake, in May 1975. The success for the new building was short-lived for an electrical fire took the building and the life of a cook, Ron Taub. George's son James, escaped the fire only to die one week before the opening of the newly rebuilt Gale Street Inn Diamond Lake on Nov. 22, 1977. George and the Chioles Family had all moved North to Mundelein and George decided to devote his time to his Mundelein location and sold Gale Street Chicago to the Karzas family in 1985. George and Joan's hard work continues on with their youngest son, Peter, daughter Suzanne, daughter-in-law, Vicki and Chef Ray DiVencenzo running the Gale Street Inn Diamond Lake at 935 Diamond Lake Road in Mundelein. With the passing of Joan and George within the last three months, a void has opened in an almost 50-year-old family business. George's Gale Street Inn is noted in the book "Historic Bars of Chicago" by Sean Parnell and was noted on the WTTW program "Check Please" for one of the Chicago area's longest running family operated business. George leaves behind a tremendous legacy. It was his amazing optimistic attitude that never allowed him to retreat when life threw curve balls at him. His absolutely warm and ingratiating charm brought joy to all who knew him. George was truly a gregarious personality, a one of a kind who leaves behind a hole in the hearts of many that can never be filled. He is survived by his children, Georgene (Dennis) Chioles-Neff, Suzanne (Kenneth) Hofert, Peter (Vicki) Chioles; grandchildren, Kimberly (Nathan) Hodel, James (Rebecca) Hofert; great-grandchildren, Riley and Miller; his brother, Michael (Elizabeth) Chioles; and his buddy, Harley. He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Joan; his son, James; and his parents, James and Mary Chioles. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in George's name to Canine Companions for Independence, North Central Region, 4989 State Route 37 East, Delaware, OH 43015. Attn: Cheryl Brocious. In honor of his faithful "Buddy" his yellow lab Harley. For information visit www.kristanfuneralhome.com or call 847-566-8020.