Dennis Sodomka: My Sam
I’ve known Gregory Favre for about 35 years, and as great a newsman as he is, I’m grateful to him for showing me it’s OK to be friends with people who work for you. You can have fun and be in a serious business.
When he was the managing editor of the Chicago Daily News, no one worked harder. He could be a tough editor, yet we had some great racquet ball matches. And when we found ourselves with Chicago Bears season tickets a row apart, he and his wife Bea would bring the hot buttered rum to games.
I didn’t realize it until later, but I actually learned a lot of journalism during those social occasions. Gregory also loves to cook and often had staff members over for dinner, or brought food into the office.
I’ve talked to other people who worked for him in other cities and they all tell the same stories about how much they learned from Gregory at those informal gatherings. He also stood up for me and showed me how to pick my way through the minefield of a merged newsroom when the Daily News died and some of us were moved to the morning Sun-Times. Through the years whenever I needed help sorting through a tough problem I could always count on Gregory for solid advice.
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