Alvin Charles Elton, age 56, passed away suddenly on Sunday, March 22, 2020. Beloved husband of Gretchen Meyer. Devoted son of the late Arthur and the late Addie, nee Stands, Elton, and dear brother of Anne, nee Elton, (Brian) Gavin. Brother-in-law of Heidi, nee Meyer, (Todd) Carlson and son-in-law of Maureen Meyer. Fond uncle of Kayla Carlson, Abby Carlson, Katrina Carlson and Billy Gavin.
The two things that made Alvin happiest were sports and having a cold beer with good friends. If the two could be combined – as they often were – well, that was absolutely ideal. An avid fan of the Blackhawks, Bears, Cubs and Bulls, “ACE” was always willing to share his thoughts and opinions with anyone who would listen, but there was always a special place reserved for his dear friends Brian McKay, Rick and Jenny Wolf, Anne Quinn, Liz Tynan and, of course, the love of his life, Gretchen Meyer (with whom he had some ‘spirited conversations’, especially when it came to baseball and the ins and outs of hockey.) As any of his friends would tell you, there are very few people who understood hockey and basketball as well as Alvin and trying to out-think him on either was a futile effort.
His love for sport and competition went beyond spectating; throughout his life, he was involved with many different sports as a player. Softball and basketball leagues with friends like Greg, Phillip and Mike Vernon, Joel Lerner and many others from Evanston in his earlier days gradually gave way to new passions – darts and golf – where he could often be found winning money off his friend Peter Citera and going dart-for-dart with John McCreery and a host of others at Gamblers, the Mark II or Di’s Den on any given night.
He was a longtime member of Windy City Darters, Chicago’s largest dart league, and served on its Board of Directors for three years. Alvin always felt that, if something was worth doing, it was worth doing well and he won more than his fair share of games because of it.
Outside the world of sports, Alvin loved skiing in Breckenridge with Gretchen (and enjoying craft beers of course), getting onto the airfield at O’Hare for the charity plane-pull (which was a good excuse to watch airplanes take off and land), going to concerts (U2 and Springsteen were his favorites, but he was up for pretty much any show – especially at Chicago’s outdoor festivals) and going to Vegas with anyone who could keep up with him (many tried, few succeeded.)
He will be remembered by many, many people for his easy smile, infectious laughter and unparalleled love of life. Rest in peace, dear friend.
Funeral Services private. A Memorial Service will be scheduled at a later date.
