Brian A. McLaughlin

Brian Andrew McLaughlin passed away peacefully in Rochester, New York on September 11, 2025, after an 18-month battle with brain cancer.

Brian was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 9, 1946 to William and Lillian McLaughlin. Growing up in Chicago's Southport neighborhood, not far from Wrigley Field, he attended Saint Andrew School through eighth grade, and then moved on to Quigley Preparatory Seminary North for high school. He attended St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Philosophy, with additional years of concentrated studies in Theology. After taking leave of the seminary, he attended Loyola University, where he earned his MBA in Finance. In the midst of his studies, he also spent a summer working on a boat sailing the Great Lakes, where despite only being there to work, he found himself in the unofficial role of the boat chaplain, talking about religion with the crew members, and maybe even taking a confession or two along the way.

Upon graduation from Loyola, he embarked on a long career in finance, starting at First National Bank in Chicago, and subsequently Pioneer Savings and Trust, Belmont National Bank, Cosmopolitan Bank and Trust, and many others.

Eventually settling in Wonder Lake, Illinois, he was both a member of the Village Board of Wonder Lake and the Board of Education for Woodstock Community School District 200.

After having lived in Illinois for his entire life, in 2008 he moved out of state to begin a new chapter with a job as Chief Lending Officer at ESL Federal Credit Union in Rochester, New York. In Rochester, he once again became deeply involved with the local community and various charities, a part of his ongoing tradition of choosing to give back. After his retirement from ESL, he started his own consulting firm, which he named Tullamore, after his favorite Irish whiskey.

Beyond his long and varied history of work and civic duty, he was an enthusiast of all the arts – always happy to see live music wherever he went, ready to see a new movie or revisit an old one, and he could always be counted on to give a book recommendation. His interests included singing folk music (in years past he was known to ably accompany himself on guitar), enjoying black-and-white science fiction movies from his youth, doing a deep read of a history book, mystery novel, or religious text, and playing golf. He loved museums, nature, fine dining, cheap eats, a properly poured pint of Guinness, tavern style pizza, his mother's Swedish meatballs recipe, bad puns, dad jokes, the Cubs, both the Bears and the Bills, and his ancestral country Ireland along with its music and traditions. Despite his diagnosis and the surgery that followed, within weeks he went on a trip to Ireland with his family, traveling all across the Emerald Isle, from Dublin to Galway and finally to Dingle, his favorite place in the world, settling in for a brief time as if he'd lived there all his life.

He lived a life full of festivity and good conversation, and was always ready with a two-word toast reflective of his Irish and Swedish lineage - "Slainte skål!"

To his family, Brian was a beloved father and close relation; to everyone else he was a great friend. He will be missed by, but forever with, his longtime partner Gloria, sons Justin (Felicia) and Sean (Lisa), former wife and close friend Marylynn, brother William (Karen), grandson Eli (whom he spoke of with love and pride to everyone around him until his last days) and many other family and friends.

Brian was predeceased by his parents William and Lillian, and brother William (who passed in infancy.)

A visitation will be held Sunday, September 28, 2025 from 2 to 6 pm at N.H. Scott & Hanekamp Funeral Home, 1240 Waukegan Road, Glenview, IL. Family and friends will meet for funeral Mass on Monday, September 29, 2025 at 10 am at St. Mary Church (St. John XXIII Parish), 1012 Lake St., Evanston, IL. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to any of these organizations Brian supported:

Rochester Rotary

https://www.rochesterrotary.org/donate/

Doctors Without Borders

give.Doctors Without Borders

Rescued Treasures Pet Adoptions

https://rescued-treasures.com/how-can-you-help/

Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center

https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/cancer-institute/giving/ways-to-give

Northwestern Medicine Memorial Foundation

giving@nm.org

Please specify for the research of Amy B. Heimberger, MD, PhD, Neurosurgeon and Scientific Director, Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center.