Every good bait/tackle shop has a Jim Hendee, or a couple of them.
Mr. Hendee died last week. A memorial service will be held Saturday in the north suburbs, said guide ``Jimmy T'' Templin, who worked with Hendee at the former Ed Shirley Sports in Morton Grove.
For those on the North Side or north suburbs, Mr. Hendee was the standard bearer of information when you stopped at the Shirley's on Dempster.
And tournament fishermen knew him for his success fishing circuits like Big Bucks on the Chain.
Details for memorial at noon Saturday are posted here.
``I used to buy stuff from him with my dad when I was 15,'' Templin said.
Ageless may best describe Mr. Hendee, who was also a retired educator.
When Randy Ramsey was college age, he partnered with Mr. Hendee, then in his 70s. Ramsey was an all-star athlete at Riverside-Brookfield who played basketball at DePaul, then tried professional fishing for a year before returning to coach and teach at R-B.
That's the kind of reach Mr. Hendee had. He also partnered with a woman fishing partner for a spell.
``He did all kinds of volunteer stuff for kids clubs and fishing derbies, just a class act,'' Templin said.
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