Daniel Gaughan, 63, of Lake Forest was the man struck and killed by a Metra train Friday, Sept. 4. The Lake County Coroner's Office confirmed the identification Wednesday, Sept. 9.
Lake County Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Newton identified Gaughan. The circumstances of the incident remain under investigation, according to Metra spokesperson Martha Hill.
Lake & McHenry County Scanner first reported the identification.
Lake Forest police and fire crews responded around 12:20 a.m. Sept. 4 to the area of Waukegan Road and Old Mill Road for a pedestrian struck by a train. Crews found an unresponsive man who was pronounced dead at the scene. Hill said the incident involved outbound Train #2157 on the Milwaukee District North line. No passengers were injured, and about 25 were accommodated on Train #2159. The involved train was released around 3 a.m.
Gaughan's obituary, published by Wenban Funeral Home, described him as "a larger-than-life figure whose sharp humor and warmth filled every room he entered." A father of three and grandfather of five, he was born on St. Patrick's Day 1963 in Chicago.
He attended Notre Dame College Prep in Niles, where he was honored on the school's Wall of Fame as the program's second all-time leading scorer. He still holds the single-game record with a 47-point performance, according to the obituary. He went on to play basketball at the University of Iowa.
After a career on the trading floors of the Chicago Board of Trade and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Gaughan retired early and spent more than a decade coaching basketball and football at the School of St. Mary in Lake Forest.
His family wrote that he "possessed a rare and extraordinary gift: he made everyone feel seen, valued, and genuinely important."
Gaughan is survived by his wife, Marianne; his parents, Patricia and Walter Gaughan; his brother, Martin; and his three sons, Kevin, Kyle and Quinn. His five grandchildren knew him as "Gogo."
A visitation will be held Friday, Sept. 11, from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Church of St. Mary, 175 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to The 1916 Foundation, which provides scholarships to the Bob O'Link community, at 1120 Crofton Ave. N., Highland Park.
The Sept. 4 fatality was the second serious rail incident at the Waukegan Road and Old Mill Road crossing in two weeks. On Aug. 21, a man was critically injured when his vehicle collided with a freight train at the same location. Hoodline reported that no connection between the two incidents has been established.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Lake County residents can also contact the Crisis Care Program at (847) 377-8088.
