John McCann 1936-2023
John McCann, 86, a resident of Wheaton, IL, for over 60 years, died on March 7, 2023.
Prior to his death, he experienced every symptom of prolonged congestive heart failure - with the marked exception of loss of appetite.
The son of Marion Harrington and John A. McCann, Jr., he is survived by his children, Maureen McCann (Kathy Byrnes), Karen Ogden (Paul), and Brian McCann (Ruth Sinanian); his grandchildren, Madeleine McCann, Carter Ogden, Spencer Ogden and Gleason McCann; and his sister, Judith Gladu (Vern).
He was preceded in death by his wife of over 50 years, Mary Hilger McCann; and his granddaughter Amanda Byrnes-McCann.
He was the first in his generation of a large extended Irish Catholic family. The family was close, living in the same Chicago neighborhood - and in some cases even the same apartment building - as each other. For decades into his adulthood, the family gathered for monthly poker games, and John held on to his tin can of pennies from those games for his entire life. His high school years at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary were the most formative of his life and the relationships built there were lifelong. He captained the "McCann's Mustangs" basketball team at the school which to this day is peak athletic performance for the family. It didn't matter what the Quigley guys were doing - a fundraiser for a shared concern, a Hearts game, just having lunch - he wanted to be part of it well into his senior years.
Eventually deciding on a law career, John earned an LL.B. from Loyola University in Chicago and built a successful career in Title Insurance, managing suburban Chicago branches of Pioneer National Title for many years. After completing his work in Title Insurance he worked with the federal government on immigration and citizenship issues, an interest developed largely through his several years of volunteer work with The People's Resource Center in Wheaton.
John had an Irish wit. Enhanced and expanded by a generous pour of Makers Mark, his storytelling was at worst lengthy - and at best - hilariously funny. His last years were spent on the Wheaton Wyndemere campus - which he enjoyed despite every intention not to - and his family is endlessly grateful for the many friends behind the stories he relished telling during his time there - stories of him and others doing their best to keep the garden going, figuring out the rules of Shuffleboard, making it to the middle of the month when the food contract renewed, and - very significantly - winning at bridge.
Memorial Contributions to the People's Resource Center, 201 S. Naperville Rd., Wheaton, IL 60187 or https://www.peoplesrc.org/donate/ would honor John and his legacy.