Eleanor Reardon
Fox’s Pizza, Guinness, Big Corner Tavern, Madden Funds and Flood Brothers Disposal present the Hibernian Radio Hour as we continue on our First Responders Tour and this week’s episode continues our new format on Hibernian Radio as we take a look back at some of our favorite First Responder interviews from over the years. This week we revisit another great show from July 2022 with CPD’s Eleanor Reardon. Eleanor is a retired Detective Sergeant who worked 30 years on the job. She grew up in St. Basil’s parish and attended Queen of Peace followed by Daley College and Chicago State University. She and her husband Charles married in ’86 and they have a son named Patrick. Eleanor began her Law Enforcement career at the Cook County Dept of Corrections and discusses what led her to join the police, mainly because of her grandfather’s influence who worked as a cop and had a walking post on 71st St. She joined the Force at just 26 years old and mentions the lack of females on the job at that time. She began working in Englewood and shares some stories from her extensive career including meeting a guy named Ronald McDonald who broke her nose! She worked in Violent Crimes and also shares some stories from her time with that division including finding bloody evidence with the help of a pet dog. She returned to work in Englewood when she became Sergeant and chats to Houli about meeting her husband, Charlie, when they both worked at the jail. Eleanor is involved in many groups including the Mount Carmel Alumni Mother’s Club and Peer Support for the Police Department. She has also worked at The Caravan Gala and describes her support work as “very important, especially now.”. The impact of the Mayor’s decisions on CPD officers’ lives is a hot topic between these two and Eleanor mentions some of the duties she has at Peer Support including visiting recently wounded officers. She talks about the importance of camaraderie on the job and why it’s good to blow off steam. “Those officers need our help and support”. She tells Houli about her uncle who was a Carmelite, Fr. O’Brien – he sounds like he was a real character! She also works in the Memorial Store at the Headquarters and has worked with Hibernian Radio’s infamous guest, Alamo Lynch. She has some stories to tell from that time with him including responding to a woman in labor! When asked about any highlights that stand out, she recalls the time The White Sox won The World Series and they got to ride up front as well as when she managed her son’s hockey team for 2 years. Eleanor truly is a fascinating lady and we’re delighted to have her join us! Houli brings us up to date on some upcoming local events including Scythian at The Athenaeum on Sunday, March 5th as well as ‘Irish Rebel Fest’ – the fundraiser for Officer Danny Golden on February 26th at Gaelic Park with music from Derek Warfield and the Young Wolfe Tones. Then it’s over to the obituaries followed by one final stop at “Houli-Town”.
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