Beverly Street Dedicated To Late Irish Boxer And Mentor Martin McGarry

BEVERLY — The late Martin McGarry’s backyard garage turned boxing gym had an impact on many children in Beverly. To honor the mentor and coach, his block was recently renamed “Honorary Martin McGarry Way.” 

McGarry died in January 2018 at the age of 66. He long ran McGarry’s Boxing Club out of his home in the 10200 block of South Hoyne Avenue. Over eight years after his death, a large crowd of family and friends gathered Thursday evening for a street dedication to remember the late boxer. 

The street was blocked off shortly before the dedication, with the sun shining on the assembled family and friends, with some wearing McGarry’s Boxing Club shirts. 

His wife, Kathy McGarry, gave a toast shortly before the street sign’s unveiling. 

“He is going to be sorry that he missed this, but the sun is shining,” Kathy said with a glass in hand. “I talked to him all day and said, ‘You are going to keep the sun shining at 6 o’clock.’”

McGarry, a native of County Mayo, Ireland, credited boxing for keeping him out of trouble growing up. The youngest of eight, his family said he started boxing through a boxing club established by a priest in Ireland. When he immigrated to Chicago in 1969, he quickly made an impact in the ring. 

Western People, a newspaper in Ireland, called McGarry one of Ireland’s best young boxing prospects in 1970. Over his career, he fought his way to a Golden Gloves title, a Catholic Youth Organization championship, two state championships and won a few professional fights as well. He even shadow boxed and met Muhammad Ali, a personal hero of McGarry’s, and Ali’s grandson fought in a local exhibition match to raise funds for McGarry’s school scholarship charity.

The boxing ring led to many friendships for McGarry, including with Rick Fornuto.

Fornuto met McGarry in 1969 through the Catholic Youth Organization’s amateur boxing program. The two were just a few years apart in age, and Fornuto said McGarry taught him how to jump rope. 

“He was the best,” Fornuto said. 

Fornuto, a longtime boxing coach with the Chicago Park District, credited McGarry for getting him started as a trainer. Over Fornuto’s 20 years with the Scottsdale Park Boxing Team, he said his club won 16 national championships and had one boxer make the Puerto Rican Olympic team. 

“All because of Marty,” Fornuto said. “He got me started.” 

Dan Letz, 42, owns Letz Box Chicago in Mount Greenwood. He started boxing at McGarry’s Boxing Club when he was 13 and was still training at the Beverly gym into his early 20s. 

“This is the first place I started. It’s pretty much the first place anybody around here in this neighborhood started,” Letz said. 

Letz, a Morgan Park native, credited McGarry for his work today. During a match, Letz said if McGarry was in your corner, he wasn’t afraid to correct you if you were messing up. Not only was the late coach a great teacher, he was a good man, he said. 

“His gym was always open. He always had a key on the back porch … He was a good guy all around and a good guy to learn from,” Letz said. 

McGarry was a member of Pipefitters Local 597. He was already an established local mentor and coach when he built his backyard boxing club in the 1990s alongside Michael O’Boyle, a Golden Gloves champion turned carpenter. 

McGarry’s Boxing Club was a nonprofit community-based training gym that attracted people of all ages interested in boxing — from teens to adults in their 50s, according to a Chicago Reader article. Golden Gloves champ and Olympian Michael Walker trained at the gym, as did former World Boxing Council Light Heavyweight Champion Montell Griffin.

McGarry’s daughter, Theresa Lakawitch, said her father loved helping others and enjoyed every moment watching kids become more confident not just in the ring, but as people. She said her dad always had a soft spot for an underdog. 

“He didn’t care about your age, your race, your religion or whether or not you had money. He was your friend,” Lakawitch said. 

McGarry was diagnosed in 2011 with amyloidosis, a disease involving an abnormal protein buildup in the organs. Before his passing, he was a fierce advocate, helping to raise awareness of the disease that also affected many members of his extended family. 

McGarry was selected to serve as the special honoree of the 2018 South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade before his death earlier that year. His family walked in the parade in his honor — Lakawitch said her father was proud of his Irish heritage, his American citizenship and the Beverly neighborhood he ended up calling home. 

“He loved this neighborhood. He loved this community. All the people here are just great; it’s a very close-knit community,” she said. 

McGarry’s street dedication has led to many interactions for Lakawitch and her family as people shared how the late boxer and mentor impacted them. 

“There have been so many messages about how happy people are for us and how much our dad impacted them. It’s special; this is a nice reminder when we drive down the block, kind of like a wink from him.” Lakawitch said.