Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye

By Cory Franklin

October  28th, 2026

When I first read the email that John sent, announcing his retirement from the blog, I felt the mixed emotions of experiencing a bittersweet moment. It was sad because one of Chicago’s legendary columnists is hanging up his spikes and we are all poorer for that. Even his enemies – and like all great columnists he has many – should recognize our communal loss. But there is some happiness in the moment because John has faced health problems that have recently made it difficult for him to write, and now he can spend precious time with wife Betty, his family and — let’s hope — grandchildren soon.

John Kass was a voice of Chicago, part of the storied tradition of celebrated Chicago columnists that dates back more than a century and includes such illustrious names as Ida B. Wells, Ring Lardner, Ben Hecht, Studs Terkel,  and of course Mike Royko, whose column John inherited. Renowned figures, all.  And unfortunately, John’s retirement is merely one more discouraging sign of the ongoing collapse of that tradition, not just in Chicago but in journalism across the country.

A personal anecdote I want to tell you about John: Years ago, I was having dinner with Tribune Editor Bruce Dold (another great who belongs in that aforementioned hallowed Chicago journalism circle) and we were discussing John, who had taken over the most valuable newspaper real estate in the city – Tribune, Page 3 – from Mike Royko, who had lately retired.

Back then, comparisons between Royko and Kass were inevitable and often invidious. In a petty, mean-spirited fashion, I made one. Commenting on a Kass column – I believe it proclaimed soccer a superior sport to baseball – I said to Bruce, “He’s no Mike Royko.”  An indiscreet remark I would quickly come to regret.

Bruce, phlegmatic as always, calmly informed me that while John might not be able to do all the things Royko could – who could? after all- Kass was just as good in his own way. And Bruce let me know that readers thought so too; they felt a personal connection with him, often a bond stronger than even Royko was capable of forging. It is inconceivable that Royko would hang out on Michigan Avenue puffing on a cigarette and just enjoying conversations with readers as John did all the time.  Royko smoked alone in his office. Royko doing a podcast as John does? Never happen.

A favorable comparison to Royko was the highest accolade possible from Bruce Dold, the editor who knew as much about column writing as anyone. Duly chastened, I soon learned he was right – most of the people I talked to loved Kass and looked forward to his columns, much as they did Royko’s. His was the piece the man on the train would read, nudge the person next to him and say, “Did you read this?”  Of course there were those who hated John, but they also read him and that was the unmistakable sign of a compelling and effective columnist. Which is exactly what John was then.

For my money, from the perspective of clarity and persuasion, the best columnist of my lifetime was William Safire, who plied his trade for 32 years at The New York Times. Like Kass, some at his newspaper reviled Safire – out of jealousy or out of principle – but no one could deny his writing was the ne plus ultra of stylish commentary. A Pulitzer Prize winner who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Safire encapsulated what a good column should be, and frankly John Kass, who affected the same rumpled appearance, ticked all the boxes:

A column should not be a chore, not a chin puller, not a dreary thing… you don’t have to be solemn to be serious.

A strong columnist does not seek safety in bland or middle-of-the-road consensus; they express clear, forceful opinions and take distinct stands. 

Make sure that at least twice a year you make someone bleed in your column.  

That pretty much sums up John. Provocative, relentless.

People ask me what kind of guy John is personally. I tell them he is self-effacing and engaging, without any of the Olympian pretentions of many popular columnists. Lunch with John is always an experience: he insists everyone enjoy the pizza at Palermo’s in Oak Lawn with all the toppings (and I can’t bring myself to tell him I hate green peppers and onions.)

Once, after his first stroke, he strode jauntily into the Hillgrove Tap in Western Springs with a walking cane, more resembling Long John Silver than a man who had a recent neurologic event. I half expected him to be wearing an eye patch and sporting a parrot on his shoulder.

Good-bye, John.  Sorry to resort to a cliché, but it is the end of an era. You’ve enriched our lives and we’ll miss you – don’t be stranger, make an occasional appearance.  Anyway, take care of yourself, enjoy retirement and the family. I hope Nature takes its course, and you get those grandchildren soon. Remember, John,  grandchildren are the only thing in life that is not overrated.

-30-

Dr. Cory Franklin

Cory Franklin, physician and writer, is a frequent contributor to johnkassnews.com. Director of Medical Intensive Care at Cook County (Illinois) Hospital for 25 years, before retiring he wrote over 80 medical articles, chapters, abstracts, and correspondences in books and professional journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA. In 1999, he was awarded the Shubin-Weil Award, one of only fifty people ever honored as a national role model for the practice and teaching of intensive care medicine. 

Since retirement, Dr. Franklin has been a contributor to the Chicago Tribune op-ed page. His work has been published in the New York Times, New York Post, Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times and excerpted in the New York Review of Books. Internationally, his work has appeared internationally in Spiked, The Guardian and The Jerusalem Post. For nine years he hosted a weekly audio podcast, Rememberingthepassed, which discusses the obituaries of notable people who have died recently. His 2015 book “Cook County ICU: 30 Years Of Unforgettable Patients and Odd Cases” was a medical history best-seller. In 2024, he co-authored The COVID Diaries: Anatomy of a Contagion As it Happened.

In 1993, he worked as a technical advisor to Harrison Ford and was a role model for the physician character Ford played in the film, The Fugitive.

Comments 25

  1. Thank you Cory for the memories. A few years back I “won” a lunch with John Kass by bidding on John at a blind auction at the annual Misericordia Fall Family Fest.,,,he did not come cheap. Along with my oldest son and a friend, we gathered with John at “Gene & Georgetti’ on Frankfort Street. I do not remember the conversation but I do remember that that when we exited we were scurring away down Franklin Street. John was left behind in front of the restaurant. John called out to us “where are you going” like an abandoned buddy and we returned to accompany him for his obligatory smoke and final thoughts. I can still picture him.
    Thanks for the memory John

  2. I’m still in disbelief even though we all knew this time was coming.
    I loved Royko too but in time John Kass met my expectations and surpassed them. Now I hold Kass at a higher level. I still can’t stand soccer though. 🤣

  4. I loved Royko and was dreadfully sorry to see him go. Then I started to read the Kass guy as my friends and I called him, and learned to love him too. Times change. I loved holding a newspaper in my hands and reading it. Thank you Cory for that trip. It was a worthy ride. Thankfully we have the memories.

  5. Brilliant Dr. Franklin! John Kass is “a bawcock, and a heart of gold, a lad of life, an imp of fame, of parents good, of fist of most valiant. I kiss his dirty shoe, and from heart-string I love the lovely bully.”

  6. Thank you Dr. for occasionally filling in for John Kass. I was so sad to read that he was retiring from writing his column that I’ve been reading for as long as I can remember. I will miss the way John was able to capture my interest in Politics as well as stories about his family.

  9. I have never posted on John’s column before, but better late than never.
    Thank you John for all the years of funny and mostly thought provoking columns.
    Father time stops for no one, but you have been given the opportunity to step away as your choice, not everyone gets that opportunity.

    I missed reading you in “the paper” and was so happy when you started your own site. My Great Aunt worked at the Trib in the 40’s – 60’s and she had some terrific stories to tell, mostly R rated. We still have personalized drawings from Harold Gray (Orphan Annie) to my aunt.
    Those glory days will never return. But we can thank you one more time for being a part of them
    Take your time, enjoy your family, and learn how to be a “retired guy”, enjoy life.

  11. Thank you, Dr Franklin. A great description of a great columnist who so many many conisdered a friend (who they had never personally met) and a source for sanity, sometimes needed humor, and always needed perspective on our world.

  12. John wrote columns that forced the truth out. When the dirty crooked cop GI joe Gliniewicz of Fox Lake faked his suicide so he would not get caught and lose his pension, the crooked Major Crimes Task Force of Lake County Illinois went along with the cover up. The Force knew it was a suicide. I was coroner of Lake County at the time. I knew it was a suicide and not a homicide and stuck to my diagnosis. John assistant interviewed me and John published a column forcing law enforcement to reveal the truth and save my ass (I was being labeled as anticop)! I met John afterword and we had breakfast at Billy Goat. A memory that will never fade. Thanks John.

  13. IMO, John Kass deserves the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In an age where journalism usually deserves to be bracketed by quotation marks, John was a real journalist. He consistently pointed us in the right direction, identifying bad guys (and sometimes girls) who constituted detours from good government. But his columns were not always about serious matters, witness his stories about Zeus the wonder dog, and his reluctant naming of Atomic Buffalo Turds, a recipe I still have. All good things must come to an end; but that doesn’t mean we have to be content with it-I’m not. Best wishes, John, and as Bob Hope would say, thanks for the memories.

    1. I still get the digital Trib and saw that in the Business Section of today’s paper. (even a pic of John at the 2008 Denver Democratic convention) Remember, they also ran an article in the Sunday Real Estage Section when the Kass’ moved to Indiana I almost expected them to end today’s article with: NONNY-NONNY-BOO-BOO !!!!! (sorry – just my opionion)

  15. Well said Doc.
    We discovered Kass in 1998, after long stints overseas. Totally disconnected from the Chicago media market.
    We quickly determined that John’s columns in the Paper, were not only must read, but really the only reason to continue to subscribe to.
    We will miss his voice, sense of humor and ground level perspective on life, love, food and politics.

  17. Good observation Dr. Franklin what you said to John Kass about grandchildren that they are the only thing in life that is not overrated. You have to be a grandfather yourself to realize it. And I have a grand daughter and two (2) grand sons, myself.
    -Nambi

  18. Thank you, Dr. Franklin, along John & with all the other guest columnists, you all will be missed so much.
    I, too, liked Royko and was saddened by his retirement, but John was the perfect replacement. I come from the Southwest side of Chicago and enjoyed when he mentioned bakeries and deli stores & Palermo’s from there.
    Loved the family stories, his political investigations & views, and he wasn’t afraid to express his emotions. Also, loved his beer can chicken recipe.
    This is sad, but I am happy for him. He has a wonderful family, and yes, I pray, grandchildren, too. I have a feeling that we will be hearing from him again in the future. ❤️

  20. Thank you, Dr. Franklin! I was a choked-up mess as I listened to Monday’s podcast, short & bittersweet that it was. Yes, I knew it was coming, the hint dropped a few podcasts ago, the recent column by John on John Kass News. But it didn’t matter. Monday’s tying-up-of-loose-ends podcast did me in. I will miss John’s words, hearing his voice of so much reason. I guess I’ll have to make more frequent trips to Joseph’s & hope to run into him at the butcher shop!

  21. Oh John, my oldest sister & I have been reading, loving & sharing your column for so many years. Many of our favorite phone calls revolved around your column’s & recipes.
    Sadly, 5 years ago, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and lost her ability to take in or respond to everyday life.
    Today I immediately wanted to call her, to share the news. John, you’ve given us so much of yourself, the stories of your father & his journey, your family & your in-depth study of Chicago Politics.
    More recently, the amazing guest columnist’s, love them all. I’m so grateful you continued your work after the Chicago Tribune tossed you aside.
    Thank you for Everything. Now go & enjoy every moment with your family. We’ll certainly miss you, but wish you the very BEST in the years ahead. 😉

  22. Thanks Doctor Franklin. I’ve met people across America who read John Kass columns.
    John published a courageous column in 1998, titled “Alec Baldwin could fit right in – as a Neanderthal.”
    As a longtime DuPage voter (and former resident of the Near West Side where my parents grew up) I’m immensely proud of John’s words.

    He exposed Baldwin as a thug for inciting assault against Congressman Henry Hyde, who was lead prosecutor in the Clinton impeachment.
    Baldwin told talk-show audiences they should drive past Hyde’s house and stone his family. And of course many left-wing idiots saw sharia-type violence as a convenient way to stop the impeachment.

    It was a disgusting example of Hollywood stooges encouraging mob attacks. John was the first newsman to criticize Baldwin’s fanaticism.
    Henry Hyde had many friends in the Elmhurst / Wheaton area who campaigned door-to-door during election years. Some volunteers worried about the safety of their loved ones, considering stoning women to death is common in Iran & Afghanistan.

    Ironically, many of us also admired Democrat Bill Lipinski and his son Dan, who was back-stabbed by his own party in favor of an extremist. That was a sad election.

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