Patrick William Corrigan Psy.D.
Patrick William Corrigan Psy.D.
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Patrick Corrigan Obituary
However, Pat was most proud of his family: his wife, Georgeen, son Abraham, his daughter Elizabeth, and his grandchildren, Jack, Clara, and Nathaniel. When a colleague would sit down with him in his office at IIT to discuss something like a multi-million dollar grant, he would begin by showing pictures of his grandchildren. Pat deeply admired his wife, a Public Defender for three decades. He gave her a watch for her retirement with the custom inscription: "Justice for all." Pat was an extraordinary mentor to countless Ph.D. students, his children, and his son-in-law. His contributions to society and his family will live on for a very long time.
Memorial Service, Sunday, February 8, 2026, at 12:00 noon, at North Shore Unitarian Church, 2100 Half Day Rd., Bannockburn, IL 60015.
Funeral info: 847.673.6111 or habenfuneral.com to leave a condolence message.
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Stan McCracken
February 8, 2026
Pat was my boss, my colleague, my collaborator, and always my friend. I got to know him best when I joined him in 1992 at his newly established Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation in Tinley Park. A year later, we got a contract to provide psychiatric rehabilitation training to all of the state-operated psychiatric hospitals in Illinois, and I had the privilege of taking frequent road trips with him. I treasure the memory of our long conversations while driving around the state. Since Pat could really only hear out of his right ear, the rule was "Pat drives, we talk; Stan drives, Pat works." He and I shared many things. Both of our fathers were in the Navy in World War II and electricians, and Pat never forgot his roots. We both avoided being in meetings with people who like meetings. If he saw someone come into a meeting with a tub of popcorn, a 2-liter bottle of soda, and a beach chair, he would start looking for the exit.
Here are some things I learned about Pat:
First, he was an amazing leader with an unparalleled ability to identify, attract, and mentor smart, talented people as colleagues and students, many of whom are with us today, in-person and online. He provided us with opportunities, support, and freedom to pursue our interests and become our best. He was incredibly generous with his time, attention, and with sharing and giving credit. He has former students and colleagues at top academic institutions in the US and around the world.
Pat cared deeply about his family, his students, his colleagues, and his friends. Regardless of how busy he was he always responded when people asked him for advice or help. He shared his expertise and his connections, and he didn´t give up on people. He found resources and referrals if he couldn´t help directly. Pat received many awards and recognition, and he always recognized those who supported and helped him. He acknowledged that he couldn´t have done what he did without those who supported him, particularly his family.
Pat had many gifts and strengths, and it was these gifts and strengths that attracted people to him. Even with all his many accolades and honors, Pat was able to relate to others outside academia. One of the things that made him relatable was his own vulnerability which he shared openly and seemingly without fear of judgement. He was very open about his struggles, and he turned these struggles into strength. He led by example and "came out proud" to combat stigma. His example and eloquence helped those who could not speak for themselves.
Stan
Elbert Huang
February 8, 2026
Dear Pat, I learned so much from you in the few years that we were collaborators. We will miss you and your wisdom about the lived experience of the patient. Elbert
Philip Yanos
February 8, 2026
I will always value the time I had with you Pat, the mentorship you showed me and your generous spirit. It was such a great honor to me to recruited by you to help with Stigma and Health. Your amazing contribution to our field will live on and on in what you wrote and the people that you trained.
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Dr Lorna R Elam Jackson
February 8, 2026
Thank you, Pat, for allowing me to join your Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation training and curriculum development team at University of Chicago. I owe much of my career success and personal growth to your wise counsel and professional guidance. I excelled as a college educator because of what I learned from your strong leadership and support. You made the world a much better place to live. And I cannot thank you enough for the countless ways in which you enriched my life. So it is with sincere respect and deepest condolences that I bid you a loving farewell. - Dr. Lorna Elam Jackson
Katie Prizeman
February 8, 2026
It was a true privilege to have known Pat. He was a remarkable mentor and a dear friend. I will carry his lessons forward always, and his guidance and kindness will stay with me throughout my life and work. His wisdom, warmth, and generosity touched so many lives, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have known him. I will miss him very much!
Barbara Dixon Blaser
February 7, 2026
May his memory be a blessing!
Pat actually changed my life. I am seldom at a loss for words but I am going to have to site with this for awhile longer.
Steve and I will be donating bags of rice to our local food bank in Pat´s name. I think he would appreciate that.
Kevin Zeigler
February 7, 2026
My sincerest condolences to the family, colleagues and friends of Patrick. He was instrumental in providing ways to improve the lives of so many people. His stewardship of the Peer health Study with Thresholds was an opportunity that truly changed my life. He will be greatly missed. Unfortunately, I will not be able to view the online service as I will be with my father who is entering Hospice care with our family.
Limor Smith
February 7, 2026
Pat was an inspiration, a mentor, a friend. He and his work had and will continue to have a huge impact on my life and my work. While he will be sorely missed, his kindness and intelligence and generosity will live on in me forever. I hope I can contribute to the field he gave so much of himself to. Thank you, Pat and Rock on!
Kenneth J. Gill
February 7, 2026
Pat, to me, was a gentle giant of a man. He contributed an enormous amount of important scholarship to our field of psychiatric rehabilitation and, as has been observed he is among the most cited people in it and more broadly psychology. But that does not say it all. Everything he did had practical import and could be applied right away. Often times when I would just be thinking about an emerging issue, I would find that Pat had already done research on it and had papers accepted on the topic. I don't know how he did it. Such as busy and productive individual who always made himself available to others. There are not that many distinguished people in academic psychiatric rehabilitation, few institutions are committed not only to the research and service required, but less commonly the education of practitioners specifically for delivery of psychiatric rehabilitation, this was a common grounds we discussed. So we were kindred spirits in that regard and would consult with each other. At various points in my career, he provided me help and support, some advice, letters of recommendation or promotion evaluations of my faculty. Often completed within 24 hours! A real letter not a form letter! I am in his debt and now will never be able to fully repay it. Someone who did not understand Pat's generosity of spirit called him a competitor to the work of my university and colleagues. Not at all, he was more like the old friend you can call upon, after months or years of separation, pick up with again as if no time had past at all. On a lighter note, for a social scientist he could be superstitious. in 2016, Pat engaged me in the breaking of the Billy Goat's curse after I made the faux pas of wishing the Cubs good luck, which he took as placing an additional curse upon the often beleaguered franchise. To undo it, he instructed me to slay a goat, eat it, and document it. With the help of a local restaurant I carried out most of his directive. It worked.....He was an original, one of a kind that we will not see the likes of again, he cannot be replaced,all of which sounds cliche, but is actually true in true. I will miss him and his immediate responses! I am not done citing him and applying his work. In specific ways, he is making the world better and will continue to do so.
- Ken Gill, Fanwood, NJ
Nikki Legate
February 5, 2026
Thank you Pat for your guidance and leadership over the years. You empowered me and so many others you mentored to speak up when it´s needed - it´s an incredible gift I hope to pay forward. I´ll miss your warm welcome when I´d stop by your office or call you on zoom. Rest in peace dear Pat. Sending so much love and strength to your family and closest friends.
Melissa Pyle
February 4, 2026
Dearest Pats family, I am so deeply sorry for your loss and I want to extend to you much love. I was so incredibly honoured and blessed to have worked with Pat. He brought so much light and good into the world and was such an advocate for change in our society for those who are often forgotten. What an inspiration he was for us all to do better for our fellow humans. I was truly so lucky to get to learn from Pat and honoured he would offer his time to support myself and the team here in England. Pat always made me feel understood and that my thoughts were important, something I will be forever grateful for because he helped me grow and overcome some of my own negative self-beliefs. I promise to always honour Pats memory. All my love, Melissa Pyle.
Vardha Kharbanda
February 4, 2026
It has been incredibly hard to sit down and write this, because putting it into words means accepting that he is really gone. Patrick was more than a mentor - he was the one person who made it okay for me to be my full, imperfect self. He never asked me to shrink or soften my edges; he embraced my anger, impulsivity, and loudness, and helped me see that those parts could carry strength and meaning.
He never stood in the way when I spoke up for myself or for others - in fact, he encouraged it. Even now, I catch myself zoning out, waiting for an email or message that will never come. The silence that follows feels heavy. But the lessons Patrick left behind - about courage, conviction, and taking up space unapologetically - continue to shape who I am. He believed in me long before I ever learned how to believe in myself.
Maya Al-Khouja
February 3, 2026
I had the privilege of working with Pat for five years, during and after my undergraduate studies. He was a mentor and a friend whose guidance shaped not only my career, but the person I became. I will miss him deeply.
Taylor Frye-Vargas
February 3, 2026
I was so honored to have Dr. Corrigan on both my thesis and comprehensive exam committees. During those times, we had thought-provoking conversations regarding the autonomy and treatment engagement of individuals with serious mental illness. We shared such a passion for advocating for individuals in this community. He led with such compassion, humor, and grace. Given the impact his loss has had on me, I can only imagine the grief his loved ones are feeling in this time.
Andrea Cooke
January 21, 2026
Pat was a talented scholar
Amir Tal
January 19, 2026
Dear family, I extend my deepest condolences for your loss. I had the distinct privilege of knowing Pat. He was exceptionally gracious in mentoring me, and together we published my first peer-reviewed article. I was fortunate to meet him during one of his visits to Israel. May he rest in peace.
Robert Beedle
January 16, 2026
Pat was my Godfather, and I am so extremely fortunate to have had him as a guide and mentor throughout my life. It's not like Pat was omnipresent: he wasn't the sort of Godparent who would call you on your birthday or be heavy handed with his influence. But honestly, he played a such critical role in several important junctures in my life- without a doubt he is why and how I became a clinical psychologist serving marginalized individuals, and am now training future psychologists to carry on The Work in his spirit.
When I think about the specific influence Pat had on my development, I have to mention radical honesty and candor, maintaining a clear focus on justice and human dignity as a motivator, and of course the use of humor as a powerful act of love that can connect us through the pain and struggle. I love to think of him with with his bratty smile, feet on his desk in his office at IIT, handing out life lessons with a decent touch of bravado- but in this mode he was always trying to model his spirit of determination and empowerment, to try and motivate others to pursue their dreams and accomplish their goals.
Pat planted, tended, and sprouted so many seeds in this world. I'm having such a hard time comprehending that he is gone now because of how important and influential he was. I guess overall I really hope he can Rest In Peace, and am now realizing it's the job is for all of us to carry on his work and the legacy. RIP Pat. Thank you for everything that you did. And Thank You for being such an amazing Godfather.
Arlen Moller
January 16, 2026
Pat was a favorite friend and colleague of mine in the Psych Dept at Illinois Tech for the last 13 years. He was an inspiration on both professional and personal levels and will be dearly missed.
Prerak Mehta
January 15, 2026
Pat-
I am so devistated to hear the news of your passing. You were the first person I saw when I joined the program at Illinois Tech and we have kept in contact ever since. You were a great mentor, friend and colleague. I know you are smiling down on us and guiding us to do right for those we serve. Thank you for always being there for me.
Regards,
Rak
nikhila panyam
January 14, 2026
My dear Pat, you have no idea how much love i have for you. I owe my career to you. You have taught me things i will remember for the rest of my life but nothing will ever come close to the sound of your laugh when i would say something dumb. You believed in me when no one else did, even in moments when i didnt believe in myself. You saw potential in me and i promise that i will live up to it. You saw me as a person. You helped me get through some diabolical times. you made my extremes feel human. working with you felt like i didn't need to take my seroquel anymore. i know you will be with me when i get my phd. thank you for being the first person to call me dr panyam. i will make you so proud of me. you will always be a part of me. love u pat. fyi, im still holding you up to the lunch we were supposed to have. i miss you. i will make you so very proud. thank you for everything.
Katherine Ponte
January 14, 2026
Professor Corrigan was not only a great friend to the mental illness community. He was one of us. He led with grace and courage and academic might. He used his intellect to combat stigma and made this world a better place for those of us living with serious mental illness. His legacy will continue to improve the experience of our community. Professor Corrigan was also a great supporter to me. As I slowly emerged from my battles with severe bipolar with psychosis, he was there to guide and inspire me. I learned a lot from his work and his example, most importantly kindness and compassion like that which he showed to me. This is a tremendous loss to our community, but he will live on in the hearts of those he touched directly and in his valuable work. <3 <3
Dennis Beedle
January 14, 2026
Pat and I were college roommates for 2 years as Creighton. It was definitely an odd couple situation for both of us. Pat used his personal experience and struggle to help countless individuals struggling with the stigma of major mental illness. His research was groundbreaking and influential, major universities do not grant the rank of Distinguished Professor casually. He was a mentor to my son who is now actively engaged in service to underserved individuals and training of students in a community mental health center. Pat and I double dated with our eventual wives Peg and Georgeen as undergraduates. His parents, children and family were a delight to know and be with, condolences from Peg and me to them. It was a special time in our lives. He will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by all of us fortunate to have shared time with him.
Bruce Sewick
January 14, 2026
Pat had a profound affect on me and my career. He was an early mentor in the field of peer support and was one of the trainers in a curriculum the state was promoting. His teaching (both content and as a role model) helped me begin my academic career in the behavioral health field. He and his team were annual speakers in my class presenting his HOP (Honest Open and Proud). He was humble, compassionate and an incredible role model for people with lived experience. I was delighted to reconnect with him after 20 years and was fortunate to record his last lecture (with his permission). His influence in the recovery field will live on forever! Bruce Sewick, Project Coordinator CRSS Grant at COD
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