A final tribute in lights: ‘Thanks Chris’
By Mitch Smith, Chicago Tribune | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Just last week, that electrician, a Chicagoan named
"They wanted to do this, they wanted to donate their time to do this, just because they cared so much about him and his family," said
And after more than an hour of employees trudging through offices, pulling blinds and spot-checking their handiwork in the evening chill, anyone driving north into
"He was one of the most modest people in the world," said
Since that first display honoring Payton in 1999, the south-facing windows of the
The building at
"I remember him calling me and thinking up the Walter Payton one,"
Though Gillott, who was 57, took pride in his work, his family said he wasn't one to brag about it. The "SOX PRIDE" message after the 2005 World Series championship brought some media attention, but Gillott, a technical whiz, never got too impressed with himself.
"He looked at it as not a big deal,"
A memorial mass was held Saturday.
Though the idea of using a skyscraper as a dusk-to-dawn billboard is decidedly 21st century, the method of creating the messages -- with paper, Sharpies and manual labor -- is low-tech.
The process starts with an idea for a punchy, topical phrase or design that can be clearly communicated in lights. Being an insurance building, they're often wellness messages about AIDS awareness or getting flu shots. Other favorite subjects include holiday greetings, messages of support for local sports teams and tributes to
To create the design, Rallo sits down with a black marker and a paper diagram of the tower's exterior. Rallo, who took over the design duties from Gillott many years ago, then sketches an image of how the message should look from the outside.
When that's complete, he starts with a new picture of the building and flips his original drawing so he can tell his electricians which of the 50 south-facing window blinds to close and which to leave open on each floor. In a 57-story structure, it's no simple task.
The building staff can override the lights so they shine through the night, but there's no mechanized system to raise or lower the shades.
To form the "THANKS CHRIS" message, a team of electricians (and a couple workers from other departments who wanted to help pay tribute to their friend) fanned out across the structure shortly after
Electrician
Typically, when the main crew of electricians finish, another worker becomes the building's overnight touch-up artist, correcting any mistakes or re-lowering blinds that were adjusted by office workers who wanted a view of the lake while pulling a late shift.
Before
Gillott's widow said it was a fitting tribute to the man who wrote messages on the skyline.
"Chris -- I can just see him smiling about it,"
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