Terry Brennan

Terence “Terry” Michael Brennan was a loving husband to Mary, father to his three daughters, Jennifer (Jonathan) Brogan, Margaret “Maggie” Brennan, and the late Kellie Brennan, and grandfather to Benjamin, Amelia, Annalise, and Elodie. He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Joan Brennan, and his brother, William “Billy” Brennan. He is also survived by his siblings, Thomas (Ann) Brennan, Joan (Mitch) Danklef, and Patricia (Ken) Kimutis, as well as many extended family members and friends who cherished him.

Terry was born in Queens, New York City. Growing up there, his mom would often load up the car with neighborhood kids and head to the beach for the day. Terry loved the beach, and it remained one of his favorite places throughout his life. His family later moved to Naperville, Illinois, where he proudly played football and was part of the first graduating class of Naperville North High School. He briefly continued his football career at North Central College before transferring to Southern Illinois University, where he made lifelong friends. After college, he followed his family to St. Louis for a short time before returning to the Chicagoland area.

For over 40 years, he built a beautiful life with his wife, Mary. They raised a family, made a home, and created many memories along the way. They could often be found sitting outside together on a nice day or heading out for dinner. Over the years, they spent many weekends traveling for softball, where they formed close friendships with the other parents. Long after the games were over and their daughters had grown, many of those friendships remained strong.

Those who had the pleasure of knowing him knew that his personality was almost as big as he was. He always had a story to tell or an opinion to share, and chances were that if he was laughing, everyone around him was laughing too. Terry never stayed a stranger for long and made friends everywhere he went. Beneath his big personality was someone with a gentle nature who cared deeply for the people he loved.

Terry was a rescuer by nature, always willing to lend a hand, and for him, that often meant showing up with his tools. As a contractor, there were few things he could not fix or figure out. He spent a lot of time helping family, neighbors, and others in his community and church. Terry turned his passion into his own business, Kelmag Home Improvement, and was often seen working around St. Luke Church, where he was a faithful member and sang in the choir.

He may have once imagined himself raising a son, but some of his greatest pride came from raising strong daughters. He spent years in the stands watching his three girls play basketball and on the softball field coaching Maggie and Kellie. He often said that coaching girls was different from coaching boys, and over the years he learned when to push, when to encourage, and when a player needed someone to believe in her. He was a steady and patient coach who knew how to teach without yelling, push without discouraging, and help his players build confidence both on and off the field. Above all, he wanted them to reach their full potential without ever losing the joy of playing the game.

Nothing brought him more joy than his four grandchildren. Naturally, that never stopped him from giving them a hard time in the most loving way. He was generous with them, always trying to send them home with a little extra money. He loved being there to watch his granddaughters play softball and soccer and grandson play baseball. Some of his favorite times with them were spent at the beach, usually with a stop for ice cream included. He could not have been prouder of them and the people they are becoming.

Terry knew how to enjoy the things he loved. Some of his favorite times were spent with family, catching up with friends, watching the White Sox or Bears, listening to music, or sitting outside enjoying the sun. He looked forward to the Lisle parades, a good game of Left Right Center, weekend getaways, and time spent boating. He also spent plenty of time at the grill, where he firmly believed all meat should be well done. The family dogs were rarely far from him either. Lucy could often be found cuddled up beside him or tucked inside his jacket, while Chuck, also known as Scruffy, was usually somewhere close by.

He built a life surrounded by family, friends, and people whose lives were better for having known him. He will be deeply missed by those who knew and loved him. He is now reunited with his Kellie, whom he missed immensely every day.

Please send photos of or with Terry to terrybrennanphotos@gmail.com to be included in a slideshow.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks those wishing to honor Terry’s memory to make a donation to Starfish Dog Rescue, where the family adopted Scruffy, (www.starfishanimalrescue.com) or Feed My Starving Children (https://give.fmsc.org/terrybrennan), where family and friends volunteer each year in Kellie’s honor.

A visitation for Terry will be held at Trinity Church (1101 Kimberly Way, Lisle) Tuesday, September 8, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The service to follow at 11:00 a.m.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Terry Brennan, please visit our floral store.