February 10, 2023
The Civic Federation is saddened by the news of the death of Andrew J. McKenna, a longtime civic, business, philanthropic and sports leader in Chicago and supporter and friend of the Civic Federation. Mr. McKenna passed away on Tuesday, February 7, at age 93. Mr. McKenna had been Chairman of Bunzl Retail Services (formerly Schwarz Supply Source), Chairman Emeritus of McDonald’s Corporation and Lead Director of Ryan Specialty, in addition to many other business, civic and philanthropic leadership roles. He was a director of the Chicago Bears Football Club, Inc. and had previously chaired the Chicago White Sox and had served as Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Cubs and the University of Notre Dame, his alma mater.
Mr. McKenna’s contributions to the City of Chicago were celebrated by the Civic Federation in 2002, when he was awarded the Lyman J. Gage Award for Outstanding Civic Contribution. He was also a longtime co-chair of the Federation’s Civic Awards luncheon, helping lead the event as recently as 2022, and was a long-time confidant and personal mentor to Laurence Msall, our late president. The Civic Federation remains deeply grateful for Mr. McKenna’s dedicated support of our work in addition to his tremendous impact on the City of Chicago as one of its foremost civic leaders. We send our sincere condolences to his friends and loved ones.
To learn more about McKenna’s life and career, please view his obituary here.