Former Congressman Robert Hanrahan dead at 76
A longtime educator and former congressman who held a variety of public offices during his long career, Robert Paul Hanrahan of Vernon Hills died Friday at age 76.
A teacher, Hanrahan was elected Cook County Superintendent of Schools from 1967 to 1971, when he was appointed Midwest Regional Commissioner of Education. He won election to the 93rd Congress as an Illinois Republican in 1972 but lost his re-election bid in 1974.
According to his congressional biography, Hanrahan was appointed deputy assistant secretary for education under the Department of Health, Education and Welfare in 1975 and served in that capacity until 1977. He founded RPH & Associates, a consulting firm dealing with governmental and business issues, and was elected to a post as a Lake County commissioner from 1980-82.
He maintained his touch with Washington by serving as vice president of the Tobacco Institute from 1980-84, and executive director of the American Security Council Foundation from 1984-87.
Born Feb. 25, 1934, in Chicago Heights, Hanrahan attended public schools and Thornton Community College in Harvey before receiving a bachelor and master's degree in education from Bowling Green State University. He made homes in Lake Forest and McLean, Va., before moving to Vernon Hills.
In recent years, Hanrahan suffered from a rare neurodegenerative disorder known as progressive supranuclear palsy or PSP.
Hanrahan is survived by his wife of 53 years, Barbara; sons Kevin (Kathy), Brian (Ann) and Greg (Caryn) Hanrahan; and grandchildren Emily, Ben and Quincy, Tommy, Katie and Claire, and Casey, Connor and Kyle.
His visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Wenban Funeral Home, 320 Vine Ave., in Lake Forest.
Service and interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Cure PSP, 30 E. Padonia Road, Suite 201, Timonium, MD 21093-2308. For more information about PSP, visit the website www.psp.org. For more information on the visitation, phone the funeral home at (847) 234-0022 or visit the www.wenbanfh.com website.