Chicago's Own Lincoln and Western Avenue's Pigeon Man~ Well this is what we all called him over the years. Many people use to be disgusted by the swarm of pigeons on and around Mr. Zeman, known quite simply as the "Pigeon Man," he was embraced by dozens who asked no questions, accepting him as he was, with his withered torn clothes and bags of birdseed and bread. His way with birds was a quite sign of grace and elegance on a dirty city street, a reminder of kindness to all creatures no matter how humble. This made him a beautiful person inside and out. On December 16th someone even gave him a box of Frango Mints, he had just turned 77, and many more slipped him a dollar or two as he sat and "just feed the birds". Mr. Zeman, or Joe, as he would like to be called; grew up near Fullerton and Lincoln (near Lincoln Park Zoo) the son of a typist and a laborer. A stroke at 8 months old left him with epilepsy; He attended school for about 6 months before teachers said they could not deal with his seizures. Remember back than there was little known of this condition so of course. He actually learned to read at the age of 14 or 16 when he lived in a state mental hospital in Dixon Illinois. Joe's cousins would later help him live independately on his own in a Chicago apartment until his demise. In the 1950's he bought his own newsstand on Lasalle and Clark Street and this is where the magic of befriending the pigeons started. While the business was a success, many people took advantage of his good nature and would steal or talk him into buying stolen merchandise. He owned a collection of radios, travel alarm clocks and watches. Medication started controlling his seizures when he was nearly 50, but a lifetime as an outsider never was forgotten. On Western Avenue in Lincoln Square, he found a community of birds and people. His memory (with this memorial) will never be forgotten and I hope that it inspires someone to do something nice for our animal friends. A private cremation will be held at Drake & Sons funeral parlor with interment at a future date. The family ask that all donations be sent to the Humane Society. We will miss you Joe. Now you can fly home with the birds you helped survive the harsh streets of Chicago.

Joe "Pigeon Man" was struck by a car on the 3300 Block of West Devon Avenue on Tuesday 12/18/07, just 2 days after his 77th birthday....

I have decided to Sponsor this page myself so that it will begin the process of more sponsoring. Thank you all. Damian