Naperville's Jack McCambridge remembered for positive personality
John E. "Jack" McCambridge was a happy-go-lucky guy who said "hi" to strangers and could brighten anyone's day.
The longtime Naperville resident, who died Friday at age 93, is being remembered by friends and family for that positive outlook along with his community service and for being a true gentleman and a kind friend.
"He always brought out the best in everybody," said his youngest daughter, Melissa Buckley of Batavia. "He was very positive and you never saw a bad day out of him."
McCambridge served as a member of the Naperville liquor commission until his death. He previously served as chairman of the board of fire and police commissioners and library board president and was involved with St. Raphael and Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic churches, Jaycees and Rotary. He recently moved to Lisle and was a member of the Brookdale Senior Living resident board.
"He wanted to stay involved with the community, he wanted to give back to the community that gave so much to him. That was just his nature," said McCambridge's longtime friend, Terry Klein, of Naperville, who served after McCambridge on the board of fire and police commissioners. "He was a very upbeat guy - you never saw Jack without a smile on his face."
Born March 28, 1922, in Joliet, McCambridge entered the Army after high school and fought in World War II. He then had a 30-year career with Standard Oil Co. in Chicago and a 20-year career as a real estate broker for Coldwell Banker in Naperville.
He married Elizabeth Fahrner and they had three children, John, Greg and Jeri-lyn. After Elizabeth died, he married Natalie Cignetti and had his youngest daughter, Melissa.
Buckley said her father coached her sports teams and enjoyed being with family, which grew to include six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
"His energy level was amazing," Buckley said, adding that people sometimes thought her father was 20 years younger than his true age. "He was someone who loved life and who lived life to the fullest each and every day."
Klein and Rebecca Boyd-Obarski, current chairwoman of the board of fire and police commissioners, both said McCambridge mentored them when they assumed the role. McCambridge's kind and lighthearted personality was evident in his dealings with volunteers who help run the city, friends said.
"He loved to joke with you about 'I'll buy you lunch today,' and then you might end up buying lunch for him," Klein said.
Visitation is scheduled for 3 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 44 S. Mill St., Naperville. His funeral will begin at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home before an 11 a.m. Mass at Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, 36 N. Ellsworth St., Naperville.
Instead of flowers, McCambridge's family is asking donations be made to Honor Flight Chicago, 938 W. Montana St., Chicago, 60614, or at honorflightchicago.org.
Klein said McCambridge went on an Honor Flight to the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., in 2009 and was moved by the experience, especially by the letters he received when he returned.
"I wrote a letter to Jack at that time and he always spoke about the letters that he got from his friends congratulating him and thanking him for his service to his country," Klein said. "He was very proud of that."