From Montrose to Peterson, Kedzie to Pulaski and far beyond, generations of kids knew Ned Singer’s Sports.
It was where Von Steuben, Roosevelt, even Mather and Sullivan high school students bought the required school gym uniforms, where guys bought Converse All-Stars and jock straps, where SAC members bought their club jackets, and where several Chicago schools and community recreational centers bought sports equipment.
For more than 20 years at River Park, a Little League team wore Ned Singer’s Sports on their uniforms. Ned Singer’s Sports also sponsored softball and basketball teams–close to a dozen teams–on the North Side and on the West Side. Sponsoring youth sports meant the store donated team uniforms and jackets.
Howard Glantz, a Von Steuben alum (class of ’55), played on softball and basketball teams sponsored by Ned Singer’s Sports. He recalls going to the store to buy a jock strap for the first time. He knew Mrs. Singer worked at the store and he didn’t want to go in when she was there. Every day after school he’d peek in the store window and see her. At the end of the week, he couldn’t put it off any longer. Mrs. Singer was working that day and asked Howie what he was looking for. He told her, an athletic supporter.
“What size?” Mrs. Singer asked.
Howie didn’t know what size. He panicked, thinking he’d have to take off his pants and get measured.
Then Mrs. Singer quickly said, “Your waist size.”
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Like many of his Albany Park neighbors, Ned Singer came from Chicago’s West Side. His Eastern European Jewish parents were so poor they were evicted from another apartment every third month. Singer attended Manley High School, played on the basketball team.
After the war, he worked at Marshall Field’s on State in the gun repair department. (Who knew?) One day a loaded shotgun accidentally went off. Buckshot lodged in the ceiling. Singer looked for a safer job.
Bea and Ned Singer in the 1960s
He became a sales clerk at a sporting goods store at 3344 W. Lawrence called Vange’s, then bought out the business in 1952. Singer’s wife, Bernice Pomerantz Singer, worked the store office when she wasn’t taking care of their five sons. Like other local business owners, they lived in the neighborhood.
Over the years they moved the business, first to 3334 Lawrence, then 3247 Lawrence. They opened a second store in Skokie, where many Albany Park Jews had migrated. They ran the pro shop at the East Bank Club for the first five years of the club’s existence.
Ned and Bea retired in the late 1980s and moved to Florida. He suffered a stroke, then developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. When his son Jeff called from Chicago in early 1996, asking did he want attend the first ever Von Steuben-Roosevelt alumni game, Ned said no. He was tired, had just gone through chemo.
Bea told Jeff, leave your father alone, his immune system is compromised, he’ll die if he travels on a plane. As the weeks passed, Jeff asked again and again, until finally Ned told him, back off.
On Friday, February 23, the day before the game, Ned called Jeff to say he’d be on a plane to Chicago.
Jeff met his father at O’Hare on Saturday afternoon and drove straight to Von Steuben. They parked on Kimball Avenue near the school entrance and several guys came out to help Ned up the building steps.
Robby Polovin, Bob Briskman, and Ned Singer
The gym was packed to the rafters, 600 people squeezed into stands that hold 500. Ned and Jeff entered the gym and slowly circled the perimeter of the floor. As people recognized Ned, they stood and cheered.
Ned is shaking hands with Lonnie Dienstag Goldberg, to her left is Howard Weisman and Bonnie Baron Weisman.
Men walked up to Ned and introduced themselves as the kids who once played on teams he sponsored, the kids who bought their first pair of school gym shorts at the store on Lawrence. At half-time Marshall Waldo introduced Ned over the P.A. and the place went crazy.
When he was growing up in Albany Park, Jeff felt being Ned Singer’s son was something special. At the alumni game, the feeling was more than special; it was indescribable. From his expression in these photographs, Ned must have felt the same way.
Organized by then Von Steuben Athletic Director and alum Richard Wiener, the historic game drew former players from both schools. None of the players were under 40. Maybe none were under 45. Don Wilens (who played for Von in ’53 and ’54) coached the Von Steuben Panthers and Manny Weincord coached the Roosevelt Rough Riders. Marshall Waldo, Von class of 1962, did the player intros over the P.A. Roosevelt won by one point.
Several months after the game, Ned passed away in Florida. His family established the Ned and Bernice Singer Memorial Athletic Scholarship, which continues to be awarded annually to a Von Steuben student.
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As a girl growing up in that community pre-Title IX, I never participated in organized sports. The first time I walked into Ned Singer’s Sports on Lawrence was in the fall of 1970, the start of my freshman year at Von Steuben. All I bought was a gym uniform, but it was a rite of passage of sorts and the memory, so closely tied to the trauma of freshman P.E., remains with me. We were meeting so many girls from different schools for the first time and the embarrassment of those one-piece sleeveless gym suits with bloomer bottoms, not to mention the shapeless swimsuits and curtainless shower stalls, brought us a bit closer together as a class.
So, it’s been some 40 years I’ve known Ned Singer’s name, but never knew his story. Turns out the story was as memorable as the name.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Jeff Singer for sharing his parents’ story and photographs. Thanks to Rich Wiener for providing details about the alumni game and the Von Steuben Alumni Association, and thanks to Howie Glantz for sharing his wonderful stories.
Jerry Shapiro greeting his former employer. Jerry worked at Ned Singer's Sports in the late 1960s-early '70s. Prior to that he worked at Deborah Boys Club as a recreation coordinator.
Allen Pritikin reminiscing with Ned Singer
Great Story. I remember my brother buying his Jagaur Softball team shirts there in ’46. I remember going to the Terminal theater on a Sat. in October of 1946. . On coming out of the theater instead of listening on the radio the World Series between the Red Sox and Cardinals. Singer posted on their store window that te Sox’s won on a Rudy York homer 3-2. The following week, I was able to see highlights of that game in the Newsreel.
My brother bought a basketball hoop($5.) and net that my dad mounted on our garage to replace the bushel basket. The only problem, so many of the kids kept banging into the garage doors and broke them. Our Hibbard class softball team in ’47 decided to name our team the Rockets( like Buck Roger’s in the 25th Century and it sounded futuristic) and I designed a T-shirt. However Singer had no illustrations of Rockets, so we changed the name to the “El Diablos” !
I just realize that picture 1 and 3 is my brother Allen in mod sweater with black coller. I am sure he knows the others and I just sent him an email. Will he be surprised!
No way! Jerry, that is amazing.
Thanks, Jerry, great memories as always. I love that about the scores in the store window.
That is Jerry Shapiro in photo wearing a blue sweatshirt with the letters OSU. Jerry used to work at Ned Singer’s in Albany Park for several years in the late 60′s/early 70′s after working as a recreation coordinator for a few years in the early 60′s at the Deborah Boys Club. Regrettably, Jerry passed away just a few months ago.
I believe the man in the blue tee shirt with the alumni basketball game logo is Freddie Greenberg–who, like Jerry Shapiro, worked at Deborah Boys Club in the early 60′s.
I knew there was a gun repair shop at Fields, I once brought my grandfather’s 1868 Sharps 4-barrel pocket pistol in to be fixed. I worked on the 5th floor of the annex building in the sport wear and gear shop, which included guns and archery equipment.
Another great article that brings back fond memories. The two people in the photo are Allen Pritikin and Richard Lazer with hat and back to camera. The coach of Von Steuben was Don Wilens who was an outstanding player on the 1953 team with Charles Faso, Vic Elias, Mel Kupcinent, Howie Rosenthal, Dick Ahlman, Harold Maizel. Charlie Goldstein was the coach of the team. I apologize for not knowing the names of the remaining players.
The comments by Howard Glantz put a smile on my face. Howard is a little guy with a big heart.
I suggest that you get the old timers from Von Steuben and Roosevelt and have a Reunion
dinner at Marie’s Pizza on Lawrence Avenue.
Allen Pritikin
Allen, thanks for visiting and for identifying the people in the photographs. I’ve already been researching the basketball teams of 1951-53, and hope to write something in the future. Maybe you should join Howard and me next time we do an interview.
I think you have a good idea for a meetup. Will pass it on to Von Steuben Alumni Association to see if they want to help organize.
In the third picture down Ned is shaking hands with Lonnie Dienstag Goldberg, to her left is Howard Weisman and Bonnie Baron Weisman.
I think the Von Coach was Don “cussy” Willens, played for Von in 1953 & 4. Had a great jump shot. I don’t remember a Dan Wills.
Oops. my mistake. It was Don Willens.
Your description of the girls’ locker room and our one-piece gym uniform brought back so many memories. I recall those horrid, revealing bathing suits we were required to wear. One year I was scheduled for swimming on a Monday. The pool temp was brutally cold. We didn’t have time to dry our hair, and my unruly curly hair would go nuts afterwards. Does anyone recall the name of the very tall gym teacher? I graduated in ’73.
Hi, Hope. The pool was brutal. Miss Pufundt was the teacher you’re thinking of. I had her freshman year. Thanks for stopping by.
Oh do I remember those ugly gym suits. Inspection every Monday morning. Gymsuit had to be washed and ironed. Gym shoes polished and laces white. We all knew Ned Singer’s Sports. That’s where we all went for our gym suits. Thanks for sharing a great article with us and bringing back great memories of growing up in Albany Park.
Hi, Harriet. I forgot about having to iron the gym suits. Thanks for stopping by and letting me know about the Riverwoods program connection to Deborah.
After I got out of the army in 1968, Ned and Bea gave me a job, and a chance to learn the Sporting Goods business. They took me in as part of the family, even if I didn’t like Lox. Ned always had great ideas and dreams, Bea was always more realistic. I moved away from Chicago area in 1974 and always regret not seeing them again.
Dave, thanks for visiting and sharing your story about Ned and Bea Singer. Their sons Joel and Jeff may remember you. Any other recollections of Lawrence Ave. from those days?
grew up in Albany Park from 1943 until 1955.
Jensen Park, Max Strauss center,Rudisch’s,Haugan and Roosevelt.
The Terminal,Metro and Maries Pizza.
Hi, Jerry. Thanks for stopping by. Those were the hot spots!