Pigeon Man Joseph Zeman Killed

[SistaSara]

'Pigeon man' struck, killed by van


Joseph Zeman sits with his feathered friends. (Tribune file photo / September 2, 2004)

Tribune staff report December 19, 2007

A Chicago man widely known as "the Pigeon Man of Lincoln Square" was struck and killed by a van Tuesday afternoon on the Far North Side.

Joseph Zeman, 77, whose love of and attentiveness toward pigeons was detailed in a 2004 Tribune article, was hit by a 1992 Chevrolet van at Devon Avenue and McCormick Road about 2:15 p.m., police said.

Zeman of the 2100 block of West Arthur Avenue was pronounced dead at 3:21 p.m. in St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.


The van was "exiting a parking lot, made a right turn, did not see him and struck him," said Sgt. Antonio Baio of the Chicago police major accident investigation unit.

He said a laminated copy of the Tribune article was found with Zeman, and a witness recognized him.

Zeman used to sit for hours on a fire hydrant near Lawrence and Western Avenues with dozens of pigeons perched on his head, shoulders and legs.

"Soon as I take a seat, they want to be loved and kissed like a mama's baby," Zeman was quoted in the Tribune article. "Like I'm their father, and they're my child."

The driver of the van, a Chicago man, 68, was ticketed for striking a pedestrian in the roadway/failure to exercise due care, negligent driving and driving an unsafe vehicle, Baio said.

[Aries65]

Man, what a way to go, poor guy...

The pigeons are going to miss him...

[SuckMyKiss]

How had he not died from a disease before this? Pigeons are flying rats. They have all kindsa icky diseases. It was sad that he died, but I really wish people would not feed pigeons like that, they need to be culled. The pigeons, not the people who feed them. That would just be wrong.

[Kathyf]

Sad he died that way.

[Ghoulie Girl]

Very sad story.

Pigeons are icky.

[Jazbabee]

What a bummer !!