Obituary of William McDonough
William “Bill” McDonough, age 67, passed away Friday, November 3, 2023. After months of fighting the good fight as a transplant recipient, he passed peacefully of expected complications.
William was born on February 17, 1956, in Chicago, IL to the late Jean (LaBell) and Emmett McDonough and was raised in the Norwood Park neighborhood. He was a proud alumni of St. Lawrence Seminary High School and attended Marquette University. He married his sparring partner, Dawn Breen, on July 2,1988 at St. Mary’s Church in Minooka, IL. They resided in Shorewood, IL, along what he called the “mighty DuPage”.
He dedicated his career to the nuclear energy industry for over 30 years, working primarily and selflessly for Exelon. He retired in the summer of 2019, due to pulmonary fibrosis. Shortly after, he received the miraculous gift of a donor lung. The unsurpassed skill and care from the entire team at Northwestern Hospital allowed him to thrive for over 3 years. Bill was able to return to work on a consulting basis, all because he "loved the action".
He was an avid reader - with an inclination for all things historical - and loved to travel. He was a golfer, music enthusiast, opera lover, and treasured the city of Chicago (especially around the holiday season). He was an expert at useless trivia and quoting TV/movie scenes. The epitome of a gentleman: he never left the house without a pressed handkerchief and his trusted comb in his back pocket.
Bill is survived by his loving wife of 35 years, Dawn; his best girl, his “sweets”, Erin Mary; his siblings, Susan (Arnold) Sameroff, and Nancy Huseby, all of Naples, FL, and Debra (Wayne) Wierzbicki of Niles, IL; his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Mary and Jerry Breen of Channahon, IL; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Edward Moulton of Naples, FL, Maura (William) Vessel, Missy (Russell) Ruettiger, and Derek (Dawn) Breen, all of Channahon, IL; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins who he loved wholeheartedly. Finally, his closest confidant of over 56 years, Patrick O'Connor; as well as a steadfast group of fiercely loyal friends who have stood the test of time.
He is preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Kathleen Moulton.
All friends and relatives are invited to attend a Memorial Mass at 10:30 a.m. on Friday
December 1, 2023 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 303 St. Mary’s St. in Minooka, IL. Following Mass, a reception in Bill’s honor beginning at 12:30 p.m., will take place at La Dolce Vita Restaurant, 16108 S. Rt. 59 in Plainfield, IL.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Bill’s name can be made to Donate Life America or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
For more information, please call 815-741-5500, or visit his Memorial Tribute at www.fredcdames.com where you can share a favorite memory or leave a condolence.
