When Nancy Remick was invited to famed milliner Raymond Hudd’s 2003 retirement party, the hat-maker had an odd request.

Although she owned many of his creations, “he insisted I wear a black dress and no hat,” recalled Remick, a Lincoln Parker.

Hudd already had something in mind for Remick’s head for the huge gala at the Chicago History Museum that night — a chapeau with black-lacquered tree branches and yellow monarch butterflies. But when that particular topper was sold right off her noggin, he made up for it.

“That’s when he went and took the Cows on Parade off someone else’s head and said, ‘It’s yours,’” said Remick. “It wasn’t for sale, so that’s why it was so very special.”

Cows on Parade, created before cows hit our downtown streets but named so after they did, was just one of the many wacky, whimsical and wonderful hats created by Hudd, who died July 20 at age 86. I had the pleasure of interviewing Raymond a couple times in his Lincoln Park shop at 2545 N. Clark St., and not only were his hats fun, but he was too.

“He’d sing songs, he and his brothers had a barbershop quartet,” said Remick, who goes back a “long, long” way back with Hudd. “He was spontaneous, creative, talented…”

On Saturday, Hudd fans will tip their hats to the beloved milliner, nicknamed Mad Hatter of the Midwest and Milliner of the Millennium. They’ll honor his memory and celebrate his life at 1:30 p.m. at the James C. King Home, 1555 Oak Ave., Evanston.

Lake View resident Iris Sholder said she’ll attend wearing the Hudd hat she treasures most.

“He said because my name was Iris, that I really should have a hat with irises on it, and that if he could find silk irises, he’d make it, and he did,” recalled Sholder. “He was a great person and personality, and just incredibly creative with hats with anything and everything on them.”

Hudd set his sights on Chicago in 1948, leaving Michigan to attend the Art Institute. He started working as a window designer and discovered his true love — millinery — said his brother, Ivan Huddlestun. In 1950, Raymond opened his first hat studio, and after that, he was “always on the cutting edge and doing things timely,” said Remick.

Perhaps that’s why he caught the attention of stars like Phyllis Diller, who owns more than 500 Hudd chapeaux. Mary Robak, a vintage hat show holder and Hudd friend, said Diller would perform at Mr. Kelly’s on Rush Street then come by and perform in Hudd’s shop window, wearing his hats.

And whether it was Sputnik, The Wizard of Oz, Tylenol, Teddy Bear or any other wild and crazy Hudd hat, I loved that Raymond would always sew a little swatch of violet fabric inside to honor his mom.

“He was fabulous,” said Robak. “Absolutely fabulous.”

OTTA saga continued … On Aug. 5, a “special meeting of the membership” was held on the sidewalk outside the Old Town Triangle Association building at 1763 N. North Park Ave. to elect three directors to fill vacant board seats. Fifty-two voting members elected Richard Hyer, David Pfendler and Alan Lougee, and the trio was ready to be installed at the Aug. 9 Triangle board meeting.

That didn’t happen, due to some bylaw loophole. So here’s the latest: By Aug. 29, the OTTA has to be notified by anyone wanting to run for a director’s seat. On Sept. 3, voting ballots will be mailed. At 7 p.m. Sept. 8, a Meet the Candidates forum will be held at the Triangle. On Sept. 15, ballots are due at 6:45 p.m., a meeting will be held at 7 p.m. and at 7:45, election results will be made public.