who twice served as Elgin’s fire chief
John "Jack" Henrici, who twice served as chief of the Elgin Fire Department during his long career as a firefighter, died at age 84 in Florida. (Elgin Fire Department/HANDOUT)By Mike Danahey
The Courier-News
Jun 06, 2023 at 11:44 am
Retired Elgin Fire Chief John “Jack” Henrici is being remembered as a leader who helped fellow firefighters develop the skills needed to grow in their careers.
Henrici died May 31 at age 84 in Florida, where he had been living since 2017.
“There are a dozen or so people who became chiefs or deputy chiefs after serving under Jack’s watch,” former Elgin firefighter John Fahy said. “Jack was firm but fair, and worked to do the best thing for the community he was serving. He was a leader, a mentor and a friend.”
Fahy, now senior director for Elgin Community College’s Fire Science & Safety program, was a member of the Elgin Fire Department from 1987 to 2016 and served as chief for more than five years after Henrici’s second retirement.
According to information provided by the Elgin Fire Department, Henrici joined the Elgin Fire Department in 1986 and retired as chief for the first time in 2003.
During his break from Elgin, Henrici served as interim fire department director for cities throughout the state, including Homewood. He returned to Elgin in 2007 to work as interim chief for 90 days and ended up being lured back to the job by a search committee.
He retired for good in late 2010, and continued to work for a time as a consultant.
Henrici spent 50 years working as a firefighter. He started his career in 1960 with the fire department in Skokie, the town where he was born and raised. He was hired by the Elk Grove Village Fire Department in 1966, where he became chief in 1976.
Henrici was the incident commander for the May 1979 crash of American Airlines Flight 191 near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in which all 258 passengers and 13 crew members were killed.
Henrici took a job with the National Fire Administration/FEMA in 1981 before being hired by Elgin five years later. He also was involved with the Great Lakes Fire Chiefs Association.
Rich Dunne, a retired 25-year Elgin firefighter and former Elgin City Council member, said it was a pleasure to work for Henrici.
“He always had the best interests of the community and firefighters in mind,” Dunne said.
Current Elgin Fire Chief Robb Cagann agreed.
“Jack was a force in the fire service. He was instrumental in helping move forward so many advances both locally and across the state,” he said.
Among them, Cagann and retired Elgin firefighter Larry Judkins said, were developing MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System), securing funding to launch the MABA Division II Technical Rescue Team, implementing Elgin’s paramedic program, and launching pre-planning for potential commercial and industrial fires.
Henrici is survived by his wife, Maryileen, seven children, 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
A visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m., Monday, June 26, at Laird Funeral Home, 310 S. State St., Elgin. Members of the fire department will provide a silent guard during the wake, and fire service members from various departments will do a walk-through procession at 7 p.m., Cagann said.
The final viewing will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 27, at Laird, followed by a procession from the funeral home to St. Thomas More Church, 215 Thomas More Drive, Elgin, where a funeral mass will start at 11 a.m. Burial will be at St. Michael the Archangel Cemetery in Palatine.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
Retired Elgin Fire Chief John “Jack” Henrici Obituary