John R. Goldrick
John R. Goldrick, 86, of Bloomington, passed away peacefully on September 22, 2015 surrounded by loved ones. He was born July 23, 1929, in Blue Island to John Edward and Kathleen (nee Bentson) Goldrick. He married Betty Lowery in 1952 in Chicago. She preceded him in death in 1968. He is survived by his wife, Helen; four children, Elizabeth Goldrick (Glen Dolgner), Susan Goldrick Cook, Sarah Goldrick (Michael Sells) and J. Brian Goldrick (Kim); seven grandchildren, Matthew and Joseph, Heather, Nicole and Tyler, and Adam and Emily. He was preceded in death by his son, Kevin, and his grandson, Shawn. He served his country in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. He obtained a B.S. and M.S. from Loyola University, Chicago and a J.D. from San Gabriel University. His long and distinguished career in the newspaper industry included working for both the Chicago Tribune and the Waukegan News-Sun before joining the (Bloomington) Pantagraph as Publisher and Chief Operations Officer in 1984. Upon his retirement from the Pantagraph he ran Bloomington Gold, McLean County Special Olympics and worked for the Community and Economic Development Foundation of Ford County. His extensive community involvement included: Past President of Bloomington-Normal Chamber of Commerce, Member of Central Illinois Development Partnership, Trustee for Illinois Wesleyan University, and Past Chairman of United Way of Bloomington . He was an avid reader, a car enthusiast, and loved the city of Chicago. He will be loved and missed by all. The family would like to extend special thanks to the nurses and staff at Advocate BroMenn Hospital and to John’s caregivers Marcel and Richie. Visitation will be from 9-10:30am Saturday at Hallowell & James Funeral Home, Downers Grove. Funeral Mass will be at 11:00am Saturday September 26th at Notre Dame Church, Clarendon Hills. Interment Private. To sign the guest book visit www.hjfunerals.com or call 630-964-6500 for information.
When I think of John I think of his wit, his discipline, his work ethic, his love for his children. He was my boss and later my neighbor, and I have dozens of memories of him. Manor Circle will not be the same without him. Helen, Steve and I are thinking of you and send our sympathies to all the family.
John hired me into the newspaper business in 1989 at the tender age of 29 and 26 years later I’m still enjoying the ride. I owe a lot to John, as I consider him one of my primary mentors…his incredibly strong work ethic, professionalism, amazing sense of humor, sense of community, love of family and the way he respected his staff are all traits that remain as a guiding light for me every day. And although we have not done a good job of keeping up since his retirement, I have always considered John a good friend. Laura and I send our thoughts and prayers to Helen and John’s children in this time of loss.
John Goldrick left an indelible positive mark on the progress of Normal-Bloomington and McLean County, often out of the spotlight but very effective nevertheless as he worked diligently to build and support all that was good about the community. As publisher of The Pantagraph, he used his influence to help lay the groundwork for many advancements. In later years, he made innumerable contributions to the achievements of Central Illinois. He was a man of vision and accomplishment. John Goldrick, indeed, made a difference. Our warmest personal condolences to Helen and family. Richard and Mary Jean Godfrey, Chicago.
It didn’t matter to John if you were 22 or 82. He connected with everyone, especially if you had a passion. Didn’t matter what it was. He welcomed me and others into his life and into his home on many occasions. I will always cherish the “business trips” we took to Chicago and the laughs and life-learning lessons he shared. Oh, the stories. Some of the happiest work days I ever spent. He never lost his sense of youth and that is a good legacy for anyone. God Bless him and Helen.
I was privileged to have John and Helen as neighbors and friends for many years. John was a great friend to me, always interesting and fascinating. He will be missed by many.
We will miss John. Judy and i always enjoyed our time with you and John
John was a precious, precious soul. I loved talking with him when he would come into our office to talk with my boss, Tom Jacob. Every conversation/encounter with him was insightful and delightful. He was a bright spot to any day. His wit was priceless and when he left your presence, you knew you had encountered a genuine, loving human being. I will miss him. My sincerest sympathies go out to you, Helen, and the entire family.
One of the highlights of my time at the McLean County Chamber of Commerce was the opportunity to work with John. He was “all in” as a leader and it made the work an adventure. John was an idea man with strong opinions–which made me feel so accomplished when he considered mine. He was truly one of a kind.