Alfred Emmaual Brennan, Sr., 95, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 18th, 2024.
Al was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in both Chicago and Marysville, Kansas. He attended St. George High School and completed undergraduate and Masters degrees at DePaul University, Chicago. He continued his studies focusing on student performance and testing at Loyola University in Chicago.
Alfred married his high school sweetheart, Mary Frances Connery in 1951 and they soon settled in Niles, Illinois to raise their family. In later years, they moved to Algonquin, Illinois, where they resided for over 30 years.
Al spent over 40 years in education; he was an influential figure in roles from teaching to the private sector. He began his career as a teacher and coach at St. Patrick High School at Des Plaines and Adams and moved into administration when the school relocated to Belmont and Austin. During his time teaching, he founded and directed the Shamrock Sports Club from 1953-1966, a summer day camp for elementary school aged boys. After 17 years at St. Patrick, Al moved to Science Research Associates, (SRA), a subsidiary of IBM where he worked for 15 years. His expertise in testing methods led to roles at Scott Foresman and finally to Riverside Publishing where he became Vice President and Director of Testing until his retirement.
Al was devoted to his Catholic faith; he was an active member of St. John Brebeuf parish in Niles and later St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Huntley. A lifelong learner and voracious reader, he exuded kindness and generosity as well as a superior intellect. Al enjoyed lively conversations and was known for sharing his wisdom and faith with all who knew him.
An excellent athlete, Al excelled in any sport. He was an avid golfer and spent many happy hours on courses all over the country with friends. Indeed, Al and Mary Frances enjoyed travel, taking several trips to Europe and through the States. Their favorite destination was to visit daughter Patricia’s family in New Jersey.
He maintained a large group of friends during his lifetime from his high school football teammates, professional colleagues and neighbors from Niles and Algonquin.
Al was preceded in death by his wife of 72 years, Mary Frances Connery and daughter Patricia (Jonathon) Strain. He was the proud father of Alfred Brennan, Jr., Anne Brennan, William Brennan (Stephanie), James Brennan (Erin), Mary Beth Luhrsen (Dane), daughter-in- law Cindy Brennan Johnson, grandchildren Jane Brennan, Mike (Emilie) Brennan, Pat (Kara) Brennan, Mary Brennan, Joe (Krissy) Brennan, Liz (Jack) Simmons, Sarah Brennan, Megan Brennan, Logan (Rebecca) Brennan, Connery Brennan, Case Brennan, Katie (Steven) Keown, John (Maggie Zentgraf) Luhrsen, Annie (Ed Horne) Luhrsen, Eric (Abby) Luhrsen, Jack (Natalie Frost) Strain, Rob Strain, Joe Strain and great-grandchildren Jake, Alex, Nora, Patrick, Nathan, Ellianna, Damon, Jace, Harper, Mackenzie, Avery, Olivia, Weston, Mikey, Anna, Ali, Dino, Emmy, and Leo and was a loving uncle to many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 24, 2024, from 4-8pm at DeFiore Funeral Home -10763 Dundee Road, Huntley. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday at 10am at St. Mary Catholic Church-10307 Dundee Road, Huntley. The burial will be at All Saints Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the Misericordia Foundation, https://www.misericordia.com/giving/donate-online/ or Catholic Extension Society, https://www.catholicextension.org/ways-to-give/donate-now/.
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Amazing life! I've enjoyed Mary Beth's stories about her childhood and how each child had to come to dinner with a word they just learned. Prayers and love your whole family.
Our sympathy and special prayers for Al and all his family and friends.