William Brown McIlvaine

1927 - 2019

William Brown McIlvaine passed away at his home in Chicago Thursday, June 6, 2019. He was 92 years old. Mr. McIlvaine is survived by Nancy, his wife of over 40 years; four children – William B. Jr., Phelps S., Marion A. Olson, Bruce L.; and eight grandchildren. Another grandson, William III, predeceased him. Born in Evanston, Mr. McIlvaine moved to Lake Forest at an early age. He attended St. Marks School Southborough, MA; Princeton; and the Harvard Business School after which he joined the Frank G. Hough Company, Libertyville, a supplier of commercial and industrial equipment. He then worked 32 years in various divisions of International Harvester, ten of which were in Canada. He also pioneered the sale of Harvester technology in Eastern Europe and China. Nancy & Bill McIlvaine established Portals LTD, a well-known Chicago gallery, in 1986 and for 26 years dedicated themselves to the art world during which time they traveled the world searching for unusual art and objets. The McIlvaines were also involved in numerous Chicago area charitable organizations and civic activities. Bill was an avid bicyclist, often riding 20-30 miles a day. Mr. McIlvaine was a descendent of Robert Gould Shaw, a Union war hero for whom there is a bronze monument by Augustus Saint-Gaudens in the Boston Commons. He is the great, great grandson of Louis Agassiz, the Harvard botanist whose wife Elizabeth was the first president of Radcliffe College. His grandfather, William B. McIlvaine was a founder of the law firm Wilson & McIlvaine. A celebration of Mr. McIlvaine's life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations to Salute Inc., 18 N. Bothwell, Palatine, IL 60067, which provides help for military families and Veterans, would be appreciated.