NICHOLAS McCARNEY

Nicholas McCarney, age 29, of Sycamore, tragically left this earth without being able to say goodbye. His spirit is now at peace and his memories are left as a balm to the pain of his passing.

He was born November 5, 1993, to proud and loving parents, Philip and Deanna McCarney.

Nicholas grew up in Elburn and attended local schools. He graduated from Kaneland High School with the class of 2012. It was during this time that his passion for writing and his love for the outdoors became central to his life.

It would be a foundation that held firm as he continued his education at George Williams College of Aurora University. He was a commencement speaker at graduation when he received his bachelor’s degree in environmental management and sustainability. No one could hold a room like Nicholas, and his speech, to no one’s surprise, was a home run.

Nicholas was an intern at the ecology department at Fermilab in Batavia, and specialized in scientific research, and data collection. In recent years, Nicholas worked at the Sycamore Park District as a Natural Area Specialist/ Ecologist where he could indulge his personal love of the outdoors in a professional setting. It was a position that was brand new and it almost seemed as if it was tailor made for a man of Nicholas’ passions. He took on the challenge and made it his own, expanding his reach from the preservation and maintenance of the prairie lands around the Sycamore areas, to teaching elementary school students in classes he created himself. He also spoke to many classes at his alma mater, Kaneland High School, as well as other various colleges and engagements in the Midwest.

Nicholas loved all of “God’s gardens”, and enjoyed being an educator, teaching anyone and everyone about the wonder that was mother nature. He also took an interest in photography, snapping pictures of his “office” in the outdoors. His favorite subjects were turtles, snakes, birds and flowers, but no matter what he found in his lens, happiness ensued. Many of his pictures garnered him awards from the Illinois Association of Park Districts as well as the Brookfield Zoo. Nicholas was very funny and always a jokester. His intelligence was bright and inquisitive, and his spirit was infectious. Nicholas’ appetite for information was insatiable and never ending, as was his willingness to share his knowledge with everyone. Nicholas had a list of mentors that inspired him that included not only his father and grandfather who encouraged his impassioned path, but also Steve Irwin, of crocodile fame. He connected with people worldwide over the internet and met them at various locations during travels to hotspots of nature. Whether it was on a boat in the Everglades at 3 a.m. or snake migration points in Shawnee National Forest, Nicholas was not only present and accounted for, but laser focused and fascinated. During his college years, Nicholas spent a spring break in Mississippi with Living Lands and Waters, and picked up countless pieces of trash along the river and its tributaries, braving the worst weather they have had in years. Despite the harsh conditions, Nicholas was determined to make a difference, whether it was in the lives of mother nature’s children, or the people in the world around him.

He now leaves his loving parents, Phil and Deanna McCarney; his loving brother Nolan (Ellen) McCarney; his maternal grandmother, Jane Phillips; his paternal grandmother, Gail McCarney; his aunts and uncles: Debbie McCarney, Michael (Grace) McCarney, Steve (Tricia) McCarney, Cheryl McCarney, Cindy (Dan Ideran) Schingen, Char (Dan) Brown, Norm (Julie) McCarney, Kelly (Cruz) McCarney, Mark (Kelly Sue) McCarney, Mitch (Amy) McCarney, Denise (Mike) Thelander, Keith (Julie) Phillips and Kevin Phillips; many cherished cousins and countless friends both close to home, and across the world.   

He is reunited with his maternal and paternal grandfather’s, Dutch Phillips and Robert McCarney and one uncle, Bob McCarney who preceded him in death.

A memorial visitation will be held Friday, September 1, 2023, from 3-6 p.m. at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, IL 60119. A private family burial will follow at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in Nicholas’ name to benefit his love of the environment. Checks may be made to the “Nicholas P. McCarney Memorial” and mailed in care of P.O. Box 66, Elburn, 60119. Tributes may also be forwarded to the same address, the Conley Funeral Home Facebook Page, or at www.conleycare.com