In addition to serving on the Bears board of directors for many years, Andrew McKenna was also a minority owner of the team. He passed away on Tuesday at the age of 93. McKenna attended Leo High School, Notre Dame, and DePaul College of Law before graduating. He presided over the White Sox from 1975 to 1981 and the Cubs from 1981 to 1984.
McKenna was on the McDonald’s board of directors for more than 20 years, presided over the company as chairman from 2004 to 2016, and has been chairman emeritus since 2016. He was a well-respected businessman who had spent years volunteering and giving back to the community, including as a trustee for the Museum of Science and Industry.
From 1982 until 2002, he served on the board of directors for the Tribune Company. McKenna was recognized as a unifying and ambitious leader by McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski in a message issued over the company’s global system on Tuesday night.
“I know I speak for everyone on the McDonald’s Board and Senior Leadership Team when I say that he will be deeply missed, and we are all tremendously grateful for the legacy he leaves behind,” Kempczinski said. “It is a legacy of leadership and humility.
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To our family and the Bears, we lost a friend of more than 40 years this afternoon, McCaskey said. Few people have influenced our wonderful city more. Andy has committed his life to organizations in a variety of fields, including sports, journalism, museums, academics, healthcare, and more, offering his leadership and views.
Most recently, when we decided to name Kevin Warren as our new president and CEO, his advice was invaluable in helping us make wise business decisions. We are appreciative of all of his services to the Bears, and we will miss his insight.
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Andrew McKenna, Chicago Bears part owner and board member.
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) February 8, 2023
The Cubs organization said it was “deeply saddened” to learn of McKenna’s death. “Andy’s success with the Cubs included helping to steer the team to the N.L. East Division title in 1984, the club’s first playoff berth since 1945, bringing joy to generations of Cubs fans,” the team said in a statement. “Beyond his many contributions and achievements in Chicago sports, Andy, a lifelong Chicagoan, also dedicated his life to service and leadership in Chicago’s civic and philanthropic community, giving his time to several boards and causes, as well as the countless people he mentored over the years. He will be missed, but his impact in this city will continue to be felt by many.”
Kempczinski also praised McKenna for his unwavering devotion to his family and his 66-year marriage to his late wife Joan, who passed away in 2019. Andy once commented, “At the end of life, I think the measure of success is not how much you have, but how much you’ve contributed,” according to Kempczinski. What matters is how much you’ve given back, not how much you’ve earned. How much you’ve achieved rather than how much you’ve won.
