Maureen O'Donnell
Staff Reporter at Chicago Sun-Times
Reporter; former obits writer at Chicago Sun-Times. Past president, Society of Professional Obituary Writers. Daughter of immigrants. She/her. I love this town.
Articles
Jerry Butler dead at 85; singer known as 'The Iceman' also had a long career in Cook County politics
Feb 21, 2025 |
chicago.suntimes.com | MAUREEN O’DONNELL |Maureen O'Donnell
Jerry Butler’s baritone combined the soaring ecstasy of church, the rumbling rhythms of Chicago and the soul of his native Sunflower, Mississippi. Warm and plush but also cool, it won him the nickname “Iceman.”The songs of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer became a soundtrack for the 1950s and 1960s. He achieved fame as a member of The Impressions and later as a solo soul artist. His songs have been sampled by others including Missy Elliott, Snoop Dogg, Method Man and The Game.
-
Dec 16, 2024 |
chicago.suntimes.com | Maureen O'Donnell
Rodessa Barrett Porter’s crystalline soprano spun filigrees in the music of the Barrett Sisters, who gave goosebumps to audiences while giving glory to God. Mrs. Porter, the last living member of the gospel trio, died Monday, according to social media posts from family members. It was the day after her 94th birthday. “My heart is sad and our family chain is broken again,” cousin Ron Barrett posted on Facebook on Monday.
-
Nov 9, 2024 |
chicago.suntimes.com | MAUREEN O’DONNELL |Maureen O'Donnell
In a legal careet spanning more than 40 years, Frank Nitikman helped some of Chicago’s most prominent people plan their estates and safeguard their investments. He also traveled the world, danced the twist with Chubby Checker and appeared as an extra in Lyric Opera productions — once, Plácido Domingo accidentally broke his nose during the second act of “Tosca.”Mr. Nitikman, who had frontotemporal dementia, died Thursday. He was 84. He grew up in Davenport, Iowa.
-
Oct 23, 2023 |
chicago.suntimes.com | MAUREEN O’DONNELL |Maureen O'Donnell
Even though he was on kidney dialysis three times a week, David Johnson wanted to experience daredevilry. “Skydiving was on his bucket list,” his wife Angela Johnson said. “The doctor said: Absolutely not.” So he tried indoor skydiving to simulate the thrill of soaring through the sky. His health struggles led to numerous hospital stays. Yet he still managed to cruise to the Bahamas, arranging to have dialysis done at a clinic in Florida if he needed it.
-
Jun 1, 2023 |
chicago.suntimes.com | Maureen O'Donnell
Journalists covering the same region
Charles Selle
Managing Editor at Lake County News-Sun
Charles Selle primarily covers news in the Greater Chicago area including suburbs like Evanston and Skokie, Illinois, United States.
Clifford Ward
Freelancer Reporter at Chicago Tribune
Clifford Ward primarily covers news in the Greater Chicago area, including suburbs like Schaumburg and Elgin, Illinois, United States.
Steve Sadin
Freelance Journalist at Chicago Tribune
Steve Sadin primarily covers news in the Greater Waukegan area including North Chicago and surrounding suburbs in Illinois, United States.
Sam Borcia
CEO and Publisher at Lake and McHenry County Scanner
Sam Borcia primarily covers news in the Greater Chicago area, including suburbs like Schaumburg and Elgin, Illinois, United States.
Claire O'Brien
Reporter at Shaw Media
Reporter at NorthWest Herald
Claire O'Brien primarily covers news in the Greater Chicago area including suburbs like Elgin and Aurora, Illinois, United States.
Try JournoFinder For Free
Search and contact over 1M+ journalist profiles, browse 100M+ articles, and unlock powerful PR tools.
Start Your 7-Day Free Trial →Coverage map
X (formerly Twitter)
- Followers
- 2K
- Tweets
- 9K
- DMs Open
- No
RT @LaurenTomasi: Hey there. Thanks for all your messages - I'm a bit sore, but I'm okay. Important we keep on telling the stories that ne…
RT @cshepherd: .@WindyCityTimes has been essential as long as I've lived and worked in Chicago and was for decades before and needs to be f…
RT @peterbakernyt: "Nobody’s going to spit on our police officers," says Trump, who four months ago pardoned people who beat police officer…