A longtime resident pens a letter to his beloved city.
By Bill Leahy
Bill and Darlene Leahy
This is a love letter…not to a high school sweetheart, a college crush, a spouse, a significant other; not to a beloved pet or a special car (Mine would be directed to my long departed 1965 burgundy Ford Mustang hardtop with black interior). This is a love letter to a city, a city where my wife, Darlene, and I have lived for 52 (and counting) of the 57 years we’ve been married; a city where we raised our four children, Heather, Brian, Sean and Allison. The city is Shaker Heights, Ohio.
You might be thinking, “That’s kind of weird, writing a love letter to a city.” I ask your indulgence to read on and, when I’m done telling our story, perhaps you’ll understand how it is possible to fall in love with a city.
In February, 1973, I was honorably discharged from the United States Army after serving four years as a Captain in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, during which time I did what Lt. Daniel Kaffee and Lt. Jack Ross did in the movie, “A Few Good Men”.
I had accepted a position as an associate attorney at Thompson Hine in Cleveland. While still in the Army, we searched for a place to live in several communities on the west and east side of Greater Cleveland, as well as adjoining counties. We were intentional about our standards for a place to live, prosper and raise our children (Heather was then four years old; three more came later).
We wanted a physical environment which was pleasing to the eye: older, traditional, leafy, lush, festooned with beautiful gardens, parks and playgrounds. Barren new housing developments need not apply. We wanted excellent public schools. We wanted a diverse community, as both Darlene and I had benefited from the blessings of diversity in high school. We wanted a place that would offer an easy commute to downtown Cleveland (no freeways!). We wanted a place where we could secure spacious rental housing at a reasonable price.
We selected Shaker Heights, not a difficult choice. It checked all the boxes. For almost two years, we lived in a rental “side by side” home at Kenyon and Avalon in the Lomond School District. It was slightly above our budget at $250/month. We had excellent officers’ quarters in the Army but, candidly, with a rental residence that replicated a single family home, we thought we had arrived in heaven. Heather went to preschool and then kindergarten at Lomond School.
While living on Kenyon Road, we looked for a home to purchase. We successfully bid on a home at 3622 Rawnsdale Road in the Sussex neighborhood ($42,500). It was a sturdy, attractive brick home with all the features we wanted. We moved there in December, 1974.
The sellers had lived there for eight years and, before that, Judge Bernard Friedman and his family had lived there for 25 years. Judge Friedman added a family room to an already spacious residence. Our Jewish neighbors, whom we hadn’t even met, gave us a set of crystal glasses as a housewarming/ Christmas present.
We have remained in that home for 50+ years and still live there. Even if we were so inclined, our children wouldn’t allow us to move. Our two next door neighbors were long-term residents. One of them, Pat and Mary White, became best friends. Their daughter, Jessica, became Heather’s best friend. Over the years, we have noticed how many Rawnsdale residents stayed in their homes for many years, as we have.
Our four children attended Shaker Schools from kindergarten through high school. They were educated superbly by dedicated teachers. They thrived in a diverse environment. They played at Sussex playground, one half block away. They swam and skated at Thornton Park. They participated in Shaker Baseball League, high school athletic teams, marching bands and theater productions. We were impressed that every Shaker child learned how to play a musical instrument.
Everything we wanted or needed was close by: supermarkets, pharmacies, an ice cream parlor, a casual restaurant, even a movie theater. Darlene could walk to St. Dominic Catholic Church. My church, Fairmount Presbyterian, was a mere 15 minutes away. For 12 years, I took the Shaker Rapid to and from my downtown office, only switching to a car when my business schedule became less predictable. Thereafter, I could take the Rapid on snowy days when driving was inadvisable.
We like the neighborhood concept in Shaker. We have a true neighborhood on Rawnsdale Road, even beyond the annual block parties. We know and enjoy our neighbors.There is an infectious spirit among young and old, persons of many varied backgrounds. There is respect, congeniality with caring thrown in for good measure. Our Sussex Association actively seeks to improve our lives. Our city officials (I must single out Councilperson Nancy Moore) are accessible, responsive and committed to the betterment of our community.
Our city services are second to none. Our trash haulers are as reliable as Big Ben. No unsightly trash containers on the parkway in Shaker Heights. These hard working people scoot up our driveway in their small vehicles. We greet them with a can of pop (yes, “pop”…before Mom and Dad moved our family to Cleveland, I was raised in suburban Chicago).
Every week, we drop off recyclable materials at the Shaker Recycling Center and use the free composting service at the Shaker Library bins.
If you live in a community long enough, you will likely have occasion to call on the Police Department. The Shaker Police Department is second to none.They are knowledgeable, professional, respectful. “To serve and protect” is more than just a slogan. They are peace officers. They perform above and beyond the call of duty. They risk their well being, their very lives daily to assure that Shaker Heights is a safe place to live.
I was greatly impressed by the community meeting held in the wake of the tragic shooting at the Shaker Library. The remarks by the police and city officials were perfectly on key. A shared community bond was formed. We’ve noticed the Shaker Police car stationed in front of the Library every day.
Though we’ve never had the occasion to call upon our Shaker Fire Department to put out a fire, we’ve called upon the Rescue Squad. They arrive swiftly, on their way even as 911 gathers information on the phone. They enter into a tumultuous situation, assist persons in great distress, make quick, on the spot, critical decisions. At times, a human life is teetering in the balance. They are invariably calm, reassuring, compassionate and, very importantly, extremely knowledgeable about what must be done.
We have the best public library I’ve ever encountered (I’m a frequent user.) The personnel working there are unfailingly friendly, courteous, and helpful. If our library doesn’t have a book, it will reach far and wide to find it…not just in Cuyahoga County but around the state.
As a litigation attorney who travelled around the country, it was fascinating to observe that Shaker’s reputation far exceeded the boundaries of our city and state. When I mentioned that I was based in the Cleveland area, often people would say, “Do you live in Shaker Heights?”
I have found that there is no other suburb in this country quite like Shaker Heights. In my hometown, Chicago, there is nothing to compare.
At this point, you might be saying, “This man is a cockeyed optimist, a pollyanna. He probably found merit in Cleveland Indians’ teams from 40 years ago. He probably thinks William Shatner is a talented singer.”
I plead guilty to a lifetime habit of perceiving at least “half full” glasses. That stated, I believe, from any objective measure, that Shaker is an ideal place to live…and I have half a century of experience to back up my opinion. Great people, accomplished people, principled people, kindly people keep coming here. There must be a reason.
Is Shaker perfect? Of course not. There have been bumps here and there. These bumps are vastly outnumbered by the positives.
I’m not a politician nor have I ever aspired to be. No one asked me to write this story. I just decided it needed to be written. Those of you who lament the absence of good news in print, electronic and social media, well, here it is.
That is my love letter to a city. Did I convince you that it is possible to love a city?
We love you, Shaker Heights!
