Notable Deaths In Illinois: Remembering Those We Lost In 2023

ILLINOIS — Like each year, many important people left us in 2023. As we prepare for a new year, we look back at their lives and are saddened they won't be around for what lies ahead in 2024. Here are just a few remembrances of people that died over the course of the last calendar year:

JANUARY

Lin Brehmer, the legendary Chicago radio disc jockey who affectionately referred to himself as his listeners' "best friend in the whole world," died in January after fighting cancer for as long as he could, his station, 93 WXRT announced. He was 68. READ MORE (CHICAGO PATCH): Chicago's 'Best Friend In The World' Brehmer Dies After Cancer Battle

FEBRUARY

• Hearts are heavy at Richards High School with the passing of long-time football coach and driver’s ed teacher Frank Salvatori, who died Feb. 2. He was 74. READ MORE (OAK LAWN PATCH): Services Set For Long-Time Richards Football Coach Frank Salvatori
• Actress and international bombshell Raquel Welch in February at her home in Los Angeles. The iconic star made famous by films such as 1966's "One Million Years B.C.'' and 1970's "Myra Breckinridge" was 82. She was born in Chicago. READ MORE (LOS ANGELES PATCH): Raquel Welch, International Icon, Dead At 82

MARCH

• Whenever the pack of boys who hung out and played football together in the cozy Riviera neighborhood squabbled, it was 13-year-old Jake Kaminski who made them laugh and forget what made them all mad in the first place. The Palos South seventh-grader died in a skiing accident in Wisconsin. READ MORE (PALOS PATCH): 'Jake Made Us Laugh' — Friends Mourn Palos South Student
• Western Springs Village President Alice Gallagher died unexpectedly in March A lawyer and yoga teacher, Gallagher was credited as a leader with a steady and calming presence during a time of global uncertainty. READ MORE (WESTERN SPRINGS PATCH): Western Springs Village President Dies
• The founder of the Chicago Italian beef shop that inspired FX's "The Bear," Joseph Zucchero, died in March at the age of 69. Mr. Beef, the no-frills sandwich joint in Chicago's River North, has been a neighborhood staple for decades. But it became a national sensation after it was portrayed by the gritty, fast-paced show released in June 2022. Zucchero died unexpectedly on March 1 at Rush Medical Center while undergoing treatment for cancer. READ MORE (CHICAGO PATCH): Founder Of Chicago Beef Shop That Inspired 'The Bear' TV Show Dies

APRIL

• If you were a child learning the English language, let alone navigating a strange, new school, Beth Webster was your best friend. She was the first to greet new teachers and staff, and show them around the building. She loved butterflies. The dedicated language specialist at Ridge Lawn Elementary School died unexpectedly on April 15 following a brief illness, leaving her close-knit group of colleagues devastated, and students adrift. She was 47. READ MORE (OAK LAWN PATCH): Ridge Lawn Students Honor Teacher With Beautiful Butterfly Tribute
• Jerry Springer, host of the "The Jerry Springer Show," died in April. He was 79 and died at home in the Chicago area after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. The show ended in 2018, after more than 4,000 episodes. READ MORE (CHICAGO PATCH): Jerry Springer Dead At 79

JUNE

• A hit-and-run driver fatally struck a local school board member as she rode her bike in Highland Park, officials said. Maureen Wener, 49, was a Deerfield School District 109 Board of Education member and had previously served on the Deerfield Library Board. READ MORE (HIGHLAND PARK PATCH): Driver Suspected Of Killing Cyclist In Highland Park Hit-And-Run Sued
• Legendary Chicago disc jockey Richard "Dick" Biondi died in June. Biondi spent most of his 67-year career entertaining audiences in Chicago, including stations WLS, WCFL, WMAQ, WBBM and WJMK. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1998. READ MORE (CHICAGO PATCH): Longtime Chicago Disc Jockey Dick Biondi Dead At 90
• Theodore "Ted" Kaczynski, branded as the "Unabomber" by the FBI, died in federal prison. He was 81. Kaczynski, who grew up in Illinois, died at a medical facility in North Carolina, where he was moved in December 2021 due to health issues. He was previously held at a maximum security facility in Colorado. READ MORE (EVERGREEN PARK PATCH): Evergreen Park Back In Spotlight As 'Unabomber's Hometown'

JULY

• Cynthia "Cindy" Stell (Pfeiffer), a beloved teacher at Chicago Ridge School District 127.5, died July 22 of a heart attack. She was 72. READ MORE (OAK LAWN PATCH): Cindy Stell, Retired Chicago Ridge Dist. 127.5 Teacher, Dies At 72
• James Lewis, the prime suspect in the infamous 1982 Tylenol murders, died of natural causes in July. READ MORE (CHICAGO PATCH): James Lewis, Prime Suspect In The 1982 Tylenol Murders, Died Of Pulmonary Embolism
• Rocky Wirtz, the principal owner of the Chicago Blackhawks who propelled the franchise into a three-time Stanley Cup winner over a six-year span, died in July after a short illness. He was 70. READ MORE (CHICAGO PATCH): Chicago Blackhawks Owner Rocky Wirtz Dies After Short Illness

AUGUST

• Anne Marie Casey, who brought style to 95th Street for over four decades with her well known clothing boutique, died Aug. 24. She was 68. READ MORE (OAK LAWN PATCH): Anne Marie Casey, Owner Of Chic, Elegant Annie's Ltd., Dies At 68
• The man who taught the world to “cha-cha real smooth” is gone, but his legacy as the inventor of the Cha-Cha Slide will live on at wedding receptions, school dances and other celebrations for years to come. Chicago native Willie Perry Jr. — better known as DJ Casper — died in August at the age of 58. READ MORE (CHICAGO PATCH): Cha-Cha Slide Inventor DJ Casper Dead At 58
• Film director William Friedkin, who made his mark on Hollywood in the 1970s with his Oscar-winning "The French Connection" and the supernatural horror movie "The Exorcist," died in August in Los Angeles at 87. Friedkin was born and raised in Chicago. READ MORE (LOS ANGLES PATCH): 'Exorcist,' Director William Friedkin Dead at 87

OCTOBER

• Nearly 80 years after he was reported missing in action during World War II, USAAF 1st. Lt. Edward Timothy McGuire finally came home to the neighborhood he left many decades ago to enlist in the fight against Hitler and the Third Reich. READ MORE (EVERGREEN PARK PATCH): Family Bids Farewell To Long-Lost WWII Hero Uncle They Never Knew
• Legendary former CBS 2 news reporter and anchor Harry Porterfield died at the age of 95. His family confirmed that Porterfield of natural causes after a short illness, surrounded by his family in Munster, Indiana. Harry spent 51 years on television in Chicago, including nearly 30 years at CBS 2 before retiring in 2015. READ MORE (CHICAGO PATCH): Harry Porterfield, Beloved Former CBS 2 News Anchor, Dead At 95
• NFL legend Dick Butkus, who played his entire professional career with the Chicago Bears from 1965 to 1973, died in October. He was 80. Butkus was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979, the first year he was eligible. READ MORE (MALIBU PATCH): Dick Butkus, NFL Legend, Dead At 80
• Village officials announced that former Lake Villa Mayor Frank Loffredo, who served in the position for 24 years, died at the age of 78. “It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of our dear friend and community leader, former Mayor Frank Loffredo,” the Village of Lake Villa said in a statement. READ MORE (GRAYSLAKE PATCH): Former Longtime Lake Villa Mayor Dies
• New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann reflected on the death of Silver Cross CEO and President Ruth Colby. Colby, 69, died suddenly after complications during a surgical procedure at a Chicago academic medical center. READ MORE (NEW LENOX PATCH): Silver Cross CEO 'A Good Friend And Great Leader' — New Lenox Mayor
• Dorothy Hoffner, the 104-year-old Chicago woman who established a new Guinness World Record for the oldest person ever to skydive, never figured one of her final acts on earth was a big deal and never wanted to be in the spotlight. But after she died in October, she is being remembered for her adventurous spirit and so much more. READ MORE (CHICAGO PATCH): Dorothy Hoffner, 104-Year-Old Record-Breaking Skydiver, Dies
  

NOVEMBER

Andrew Price, a 39-year-old Chicago firefighter, died in November following an early morning fire at a building in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. Price was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition following the fire at a four-story building that houses the Lincoln Station bar/restaurant on the first floor. READ MORE (CHICAGO PATCH): Fallen Firefighter ID'd As 14-Year Chicago Fire Department Veteran

DECEMBER

André Braugher, the two-time Emmy winner known for his roles in "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" and "Homicide: Life on The Street" died on Dec. 11. He was 61. Braugher died after a brief illness, his publicist, Jennifer Allen, told The Associated Press. No further details were given. Born and raised in Chicago, Braugher graduated from Stanford and got a master of fine arts degree from Juilliard. READ MORE (HOLLYWOOD PATCH): André Braugher Dead At 61