At the invitation of family members, a reporter and I attended a vigil Thursday night in Humboldt Park for Alexander Villafane. The father of four was shot Sunday afternoon in Little Village and died a few days later.
In my Next Day series, I haven’t focused on victims and the emotional toll on the family, so this story was different. Villafane was a well-loved family man who made his mark founding and coaching a youth football league. Chicago police said Villafane, 39, had no gang affiliations and have no motive in the shooting. Family and friends wanted to get the word out that their coach was a good guy.
The Humboldt Park Patriots is made up of neighborhood children ages 10 to 13. Family and friends said Villafane worked hard to recruit and keep kids in the program and off the streets. Many shared stories about him picking players up all over the city and staying late until their parents arrived to make sure they were safe.
The wind was bitterly cold but dozens of people kept arriving, hugging each other and remembering their friend. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to go back and see Alex’s legacy in action when the Humboldt Park Patriots start their next season in the fall.
