Lambda Chi Alpha - University of Illinois

Lambda Chi Alpha - University of Illinois - Champaign, Illinois • Spring 2023 Chi Zetagram Chi Zetagram B rothers, it is with a heavy heart that we share with you the news of the tragic passing of Kevin McCarthy '04 X1764. He and his wife, Irina, were two of the seven victims whose lives were unfairly taken in the Fourth of July Highland Park parade shooting. They were parents to 2-year-old Aiden, who survived the tragedy because of Kevin's heroic efforts and shielding his son from bullets. We never thought we would have to share such saddening news with you all, and we wanted to write this article to pay respects to Kevin and his family and shine a light on his life. Kevin was a friend to all and will be deeply missed. A few brothers who were in Chi Zeta with him have shared their favorite stories and memories of him below. Fraternally, Alumni Board "I've known Kevin since high school, and we were great friends during that time and while we were fraternity brothers. Kevin was smart, generous, and determined. He was one of those people who never had to study to get good grades. In high school, we were always in competition for grades, and it always seemed like things came easier to him. This made me work harder to achieve my goals and I hope it did the same for him. His generosity was limitless. His main objective was to make his friends happy, and he was willing to share everything he had. In high school, we always hung out at his house—even though we weren't always the cleanest bunch. At U of I, it was a similar thing. His room was constantly filled with people laughing and joking. His generosity with everything he had made our time infinitely more enjoyable." –Sergey Agres '04 X1745 Honoring the Life of KEVIN MCCARTHY '04 E stablished in 1997, the Lou Liay Spirit Award honors esteemed alumni who go out of their way to support Illini culture. The award went to two individuals this year, including our very own James Fessler '83 X1182. James has applied his attorney experience to a law professor role at the university, and he is a proud member of the University of Illinois Foundation. James was committed to serving the Greek community as a student, and he has continued that service through the Alumni Association and Chicago Illini Club. We are incredibly proud of our brother for earning yet another award that demonstrates his loyalty to the university. JAMES FESSLER '83 X1182 EARNS LOU LIAY SPIRIT AWARD "Kevin and some other brothers were willing to take the risk of getting a $5 haircut from me. I had my own clippers and cut my own hair, so they thought it was a good deal. It was—for everyone except Kevin. He had really tricky hair to cut, and I made him look, well, not like Kevin. He wore a hat for the next month straight! My brother almost always had a smile on his face—especially when he was getting an order delivered from Silver Mine." –Matthew Sykes '04 X1753 "Everyone liked Kevin—the people who were close with him, the people who weren't close with him. He was just one of those guys that always had a smile on his face and made everything a little more fun. We had a very large pledge class, and he was one of the shining lights." –Andrew Drake '04 X1758 Friends Shar e Me mories of T eir B r o ther The The Spirit Spirit of of Service Service

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