Ronald J. McCann

According to Ernest Hemingway “Every man’s life ends the same way. It is only in the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another”. And so it was that Ronald Joseph McCann died peacefully on July 29th, under the loving care of his family. He was a man who had passion, compassion, purpose, and unwavering dedication to his family. He faithfully and doggedly pursued a better life for his family, his church and every American worker who faced harsh or unsafe working conditions. His fearless and free spirit served to inspire all those around him.

His desire to serve came early as he embraced the vocation of the priesthood and attended Quigley North Seminary. After graduation from high school, he enlisted in the Army and served for 2 years as an Army Specialist stationed in Germany.

Upon returning to the US, he married the love of his life, Patricia Holly and pursued his educational dreams of getting his undergraduate degree and also going to law school. He graduated from DePaul with a degree in the Philosophy of History and then attended De Paul law school at night.

Taking his education to the workplace, he was recruited out of industry to be one of the first Area Directors for the newly formed Federal Government agency, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). His desire to protect workers in the workplace was a true calling and passion of his right up until his retirement. He received several awards for his service, was a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and received a certificate from Harvard University in Public Health.

Ron retired in the 1990’s and spent many years enjoying the outdoors, visiting National Parks with his children and grandchildren, and camping. Some of his favorite trips included trips to Alaska, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon and Glacier National Park, and closer to home, Starved Rock.

Ron had a highly defined sense of social justice and was a devout person of faith. He was a good friend to those around him, and he never gave up on what he thought was the right thing to do, even if it cost him professionally or personally.

Ron was a man of nuance and subtlety, both of which were an important part of who he was. He had the Spirit of a Warrior, the Heart of a Poet, the Eyes of a Dreamer, the Legs of Fred Astaire, the smile of Clint Eastwood and a Love of Life and Adventure that spread to all those around him.

May God rest his soul.

He leaves his wife, Patricia (nee Holly) McCann, children Kathleen (Brian) Battle, Maureen McCann and Peter Bulmer, Kevin (Cindy) McCann, Brian (Mary) McCann, Eileen McCann and Brad Derthick, and Patrick McCann. He also leaves 17 grandchildren: Brendan and Delaney Battle; Katie and Johnny Sreenan; Rachael, Matthew, and Rebecca McCann; Bridget, Molly, Meghan, Bailey, Timmy, and Danny McCann; Shannon and Spencer Derthick; and Finnegan and Maddie McCann. He was preceded in death by his parents Lee and Marie McCann, his sister Mary Ann LaMore, and his brother Lawrence McCann.

Memorial Services will be held on Saturday August 17th at 10:00am.

Notre Dame Catholic Church: 64 Norfolk Ave, Clarendon Hills, IL 60514

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for a donation to be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation in his name which supports research to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease.