Kevin S. Corrigan

Kevin Sylvester Corrigan, 56, of Forest Park, Illinois, died on Saturday, March 27, 2021, at Edward Hospital in Naperville, Illinois, after a two-year long fight with Pseudomyxoma Peritonei (PMP), a very rare form of cancer.  

Kevin was born on August 13, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois, but lived most of his childhood in River Forest, Illinois. He was the son of Kay (Mannell) Corrigan and James B. Corrigan. He was married to the love of his life, Mary Kate, in 2005.

He loved Ireland so much when he visited in 1997 that he said he felt like he was home. There were Corrigans everywhere. He and Katie decided to get married there, enticing their Chicago-bound families to get passports and travel to the Emerald Isle for a beautiful wedding just outside of Galway.

When you were with Kevin, you always had the best time, and you never knew what was going to happen next. He could talk you into “skitching” on car bumpers in the snowy winters or conspiring to create a rebel float in the homecoming parade. He might have taken that Star Trek motto, “To boldly go where no man has gone before” a little too seriously sometimes. 

Kevin carried this boldness on into his work life with his entrepreneurial spirit. He built his own award-winning landscaping company from the ground up, and later designed a prototype for an innovative, multi-use container for transporting goods. This design led to the creation of his latest business venture, which included meaningful partnerships with a community of people he held dear.   

Kevin was a devoted and proud father and husband, family always came first. To see Kevin interact with his kids, nieces and nephews and the kids of his close friends would melt anyone’s heart. He would be the first person to load up eight kids in the car and head out into the city for a spontaneous adventure. As far as how he functioned within his sibling and friend groups, words cannot begin to express the support and loyalty they felt from him. Kevin never judged and always had everyone’s back. He had an amazing ability to diffuse any emotionally charged situation with a joke, story or gag. When he entered a room, he lit it up and the energy immediately shifted to love and light. He made all who knew him braver, stronger and happier. 

There are so many amazing stories to be told about Kevin from all of those who knew and loved him. He was full of surprises and will always be an unforgettable presence in our lives. What more could we ask for in a person? To know Kevin was to know pure joy. He has given us all so many fond memories to treasure. 

He is survived by his wife, Mary Kate “Katie” (McNulty) Corrigan, and his three children, Maeve, Molly and James Thomas “JT.” He is also survived by his mother, Kay (Mannell) Corrigan of Willowbrook, IL, his mother-in-law, Mary Jane (Scanlon) McNulty of Forest Park, IL, his brother, James B. Corrigan of Forest Park, IL, his sisters, Carol Falasz and her companion, Edward “EJ” Stern of Glenview, IL, Mary Kay Ross and her husband, John of Western Springs, IL, Beth Peloquin and her husband Mark of Westford, VT, and Ann Bath and her husband Jamey of River Forest, IL, his brother-in-law, Sean P. McNulty and his 7 nieces and nephews.

He is also survived by his oldest and dearest friend, James Nelson of Western Springs, Illinois, as well as many dear friends, cousins, aunts and uncles, in-laws – really, a family that extends and extends. 

He was predeceased by his father, James B. Corrigan of River Forest, Illinois, his father-in-law Thomas C. McNulty, of Forest Park, Illinois (formerly of Oak Park, Illinois), and his beloved dog, Echo. 

A private service for family and close friends will be held at St. Bernadine Catholic Church in Forest Park, Illinois, on April 10, 2021, at 10:00 in the morning. Zimmerman-Harnett Funeral Home is handling arrangements. Strict COVID protocols will be in place. A live-stream link will be made available. There will be a larger celebration of his life at a later date when it is safe to do so. 

Kevin’s family would like to thank all of the doctors, nurses and medical staff at Edward Hospital and the MD Anderson Cancer Center for their countless hours of service and emotional support. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the family through a previously created GoFundMe page and/or to research funding for this brutal disease through the ACPMP – Appendix Cancer/Pseudomyxoma Peritonei Research Foundation. See links below. 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/kevin-corrigan-medical-relief-fund

https://acpmp.org/help-us/donate/

Kevin, it’s your turn to, “Break on through to the other side” -Jim Morrison

Rest In Peace.