CTPF has received confirmation that former President of the Board of Trustees, John F. “Jack” O’Brill passed on October 16, 2023. He was 93 years old.
Mr. O’Brill was born on October 7, 1930, and was a lifelong resident of Chicago. He earned a BS in education from Northern Illinois University, and completed graduate courses from Loyola University in Administration, Industrial Relations, and Secondary Education. He devoted his career to teaching and served in the Chicago Public School system for a remarkable 54.6 years, retiring from Nancy B. Jefferson Alternative School in 2012 at age 82.
Mr. O’Brill served the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund as a Teacher Trustee from 1995-2001, and then again from 2005-2011, for a total of 12 years, including six as President of the Board, from 2005-20011. He chaired the Investment Committee for many years and took pride in his work to encourage diversity in the Fund’s investments. He also chaired the Pension Law and Rules Committee and served on the Finance and Claims and Service Credit Committees. Under his leadership, CTPF took on a major period of modernization, and implemented Pension Gold, the Fund’s database system still in use today. He received the Fund’s Distinguished service award in recognition of his work on behalf of our Fund in 2012. He also served as a CTPF Pension Representative for more than 20 years.
Executive Director Carlton W. Lenoir, Sr., said, "We are saddened to hear of Mr. O’Brill’s passing, and take this opportunity to remember his tremendous service to our Fund as a Trustee and Board President. He was a dedicated, thoughtful and caring Trustee – who served members well and will be missed by many. We take solace in remembering a leader whose legacy will forever guide our path. Our condolences go out to his family and loved ones, as we honor a life dedicated to the betterment of our community.”
Working with students who were incarcerated for much of his career, Mr. O’Brill felt a sense of purpose and brought great dignity and empathy to his work. He would stop and buy a bag of candy before school, knowing that extending a small kindness could bridge great distances in the classroom. He believed in each student’s potential, and he fought to ensure that they had the tools they needed to move ahead on what for many was a difficult path.
His dedication to service extended well beyond the Fund and the classroom as he was active in the Chicago Teachers Union and in addition to serving as a delegate for more than 25 years, he chaired, served, and participated on multiple CTU committees. He was a member of the Aquin Guild, Local 1. A lifelong public servant, he also served as a Served as a Deputy Sheriff for the Cook County Court system, was a longtime member of the Fraternal Order of Police, and served in the Navy Reserve. He was a lifelong and charter member of St. Mary of the Woods Catholic Church.
He is survived by his brother Robert, more than a dozen nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and many friends and colleagues, and former students, who remember him fondly. His obituary can be found here.