When I heard Jim Bidwill had passed away, it brought back a flood of memories. Mr. Bidwill was my first boss in 1981 when I worked at The Merchandise Mart in Chicago as a communications coordinator in the marketing department.

Bidwill was a seasoned marketing and event planning pro and a no-nonsense kind of guy. He bossed and bullied most everyone he came into contact with, but he knew his stuff so you had to respect him. You also didn’t want to screw up in front of him, because you knew he’d call you on it – often in front of others. But he also wasn’t stingy on praise.

He was politically well-connected in Chicago and even had ties to the National Democratic Party, through the Kennedys, who owned The Mart for many years. Teddy Kennedy would answer his phone call, as would both Mayor Daleys. Whether it was promoting the newest tenant in The Mart or the next mayor of Chicago, Bidwill was a master.

“We’ve got a retail tenant opening a store on the first floor,” he said to all of us in the office one day. “The press is coming and we need a crowd. Everybody, get down there and act like you’re interested. It’s Rent-A-Crowd time.”

At heart, he was a softie. During my first floorcovering market at The Mart, he worried that I’d be vulnerable to the slimy carpet salesmen who were in town for the convention and wanted to pick up young women. “Stay away from those guys,” he warned, because he, too, knew what it was like to want to pick up young women.

“Does the 156 bus stop here?” he asked a young women he’d spotted at the bar we were at, having a drink after a long day at work.

“No, I don’t think so,” she answered. “You have to go over to Michigan Avenue to get it. Where do you want to go?”

“Ah, works every time,” he winked at me and sidled up to her, hoping to continue the conversation. It always amazed me that he could pick up women, because as a middle-aged man, he was slightly overweight, balding, and had a ruddy complexion. But his persistence and humor—and connections—helped him win them over. He knew practically anybody who was anybody in the city of Chicago.

Bidwill was the mastermind behind NeoCon, which has grown into the largest commercial furnishings exposition and conference in North America. And, he served as Chairman of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau. He was a great ambassador for the city.

An Irishman to the core, he loved St. Paddy’s Day and celebrated it with gusto. He’d invite the Irish Rovers bagpipe troupe to come and play at The Mart and then we’d follow them to whatever bar they were going to. Whenever Bidwill asked me to go somewhere with him – political fundraiser, lunch at the M&M Club, opening day at Wrigley — I rarely turned him down. I wanted to experience as much of his world as I could.

And I learned a lot from Mr. Bidwill. Among other things, he taught me to always question the answer, be proactive instead of reactive, write with a voice, and treat those you want favors from with respect and those who want favors from you with grace. He also taught me about good food and wine. Bidwill had many flaws and rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. But he was loyal, honest, and had a ton of integrity. I couldn’t have asked for a better teacher on my first job.

Rest in peace, Mr. Bigwell. I’ll raise a glass of “Chatow Nerf De Papei” and listen to Old Blue Eyes in memory of the good times we had together.