William Michael "Mick" McCann, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, formerly of Monticello, Illinois, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on August 20, 2026, at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Mick was born on May 5, 1942, to William Charles McCann and Ruth Elizabeth McCann (Steidinger). He was raised in Monticello, Illinois, where he developed a deep appreciation for family, hard work, and the simple pleasures of life.

His childhood was filled with family and relationships that remained meaningful throughout his life. He shared a special extended family and cherished his friendship with many classmates over the years. Mick enjoyed playing and working on the family farm in central Illinois. Those early experiences, surrounded by people he loved and the work of the farm, helped shape the determined and resilient man he would become.

Mick attended Lincoln Grade School and graduated from Monticello Community High School with the Class of 1960. He continued his education at Lincoln College, earning an Associate of Arts degree, and attended the University of Illinois before graduating from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in 1966 with dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Business Management and Marketing.

Following college, Mick began his professional career in banking. He held positions with Trust Bank of Chicago and Bell Federal Savings and Loan in Chicago before returning to central Illinois, where he worked for Security Savings and Loan and Citizens National Bank in Decatur. His career eventually led him into real estate and industrial sales. He worked in real estate for J.M. Brown before moving to Mount Vernon, Illinois, where he entered outside industrial and power transmission sales with Motion Industries, formerly Illinois Bearing, in Centralia. He later returned to real estate, beginning what would become the final and perhaps most defining chapter of his professional career. For 13 years, Mick worked in commercial and residential real estate with Cross Davidson in Mount Vernon. During that time, he earned his advanced real estate licensure and the Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) designation. He retired in 2013.

Mick had a natural talent for sales and connecting with people. His charm, persistence, humor, and unmistakable personality served him well throughout his career. He was a man who could make an impression, and he rarely needed much time to do it.

On March 18, 1977, Mick married Patricia Ann McCann (Noonan). Together, they built a life centered on family, laughter, love, and memories that would span decades.

More than anything else, Mick loved his family. As a husband and father, Mick was present. He would always say, "I don't know where I would be without my Patty." They had a special bond and would spend countless hours in their gardens and flower beds working alongside one another. He loved his children dearly. He was active in their lives, supportive of their dreams, and there when they needed him. He took great pride in his children and had his own special way of referring to them as "His girls" and "His buckshot"-terms of affection that reflected both his love for them and his unmistakable Mick-like sense of humor.

Mick also took great joy in being a grandfather and great-grandfather. His family continued to grow, and with each generation came another reason for him to be proud and another collection of memories to cherish.

Mick enjoyed many of life's simple pleasures. He loved golf, baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers, fishing, and spending time with family. He especially cherished Dillman's Sand Lake Lodge in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin. Dillman's had been part of Mick's life since childhood, when he first visited the family resort. Later, he returned with Pat and his son, creating a new generation of special and lifelong memories. For Mick, Dillman's represented something more than a vacation destination, it was a connection between his childhood and the family life he created as a husband and father.

He also had a particular appreciation for a good dirty martini with olives, although, in true Mick fashion, he would never actually eat the olives. And if there was chocolate or a bag of Cheetos or popcorn nearby, there was a very good chance Mick would find it.

Those who knew Mick would likely describe him in many ways: stubborn, charming, funny, persistent, and sometimes ornery. He had a wonderful sense of humor and an ability to find the humor in life. But beyond all of those qualities was something deeper and more enduring: strength and resilience.

Mick possessed an extraordinary capacity to persevere. Through the many challenges life placed before him, he continued forward with determination and a stubbornness that, depending on the circumstances, could be both maddening and admirable. That strength became one of the defining characteristics of his life.

Mick was a man of faith. He was a regular attendee at St. James the Greater Catholic Church in Eau Claire and continued his regular attendance while living in a nursing home. His faith was accompanied by the same humor and personality that characterized the rest of his life. He enjoyed friendly banter with Fr. Tom Krieg, of whom he greatly respected, and would sometimes provide his own highly unofficial assessment of Fr. Tom's jokes-complete with a thumbs up or a thumbs down.

Mick's final chapter was difficult. He had a complex medical history, and, in his final days, his quality of life deteriorated. Ultimately, the time came for peace. No more pain. No more surgeries. No more blood draws. No more therapies. While his family grieves his loss deeply, they find comfort knowing that Mick is finally at rest.

Mick is survived by his beloved wife, Pat; his children, Kelly Rhoades of Wilmington, North Carolina; Michelle Malone of Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Terry McCann of Eau Claire, Wisconsin; his children's spouses, Dirk Malone and Nikki McCann; his brother, John McCann; his grandchildren, Taylor Malone, McKenzie Malone, Aiden Love, Elijah Acosta, and Keira McCann; and his great-grandchildren, Ivy Malone and Forrest Acosta; and numerous cousins, sisters-in-law, brothers-in law, nieces, and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William Charles and Ruth Elizabeth McCann; his father- and mother-in-law, David and Evelyn Noonan; his sister, Karen Nell Hause; his special brother-in-law, Robert Hause; and his sister-in-law, Margaret Simpson McCann.

Mick was a member of the Illinois Jaycees, including the Central Region, and the Knights of Columbus, where he attained the Fourth Degree.

Those who knew Mick will remember his stubborn spirit, his charm, his humor, his love of family, and his ability to find enjoyment in the people and places that mattered most to him. Most of all, they will remember a man who showed up for the people he loved. A husband. A father. A grandfather. A great-grandfather. A brother. A friend. And, above all, a man whose strength and resilience carried him through-and whose love for his family will carry forward through all of theirs.

"I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me..." 2 Timothy 4:7-8

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 12:00PM on Friday, September 4, at St. James the Greater Catholic Church, 2502 11th Street, Eau Claire, with Father Tom Krieg officiating. Visitation will be from 5:00PM - 7:00PM with a 6:30PM Vigil on Thursday, September 3, at Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral Home, 814 1st Avenue, Eau Claire, and again one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be in Calvary Catholic Cemetery. Online condolences may be shared at www.lenmarkfh.com.

The family would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to the many family practitioners and specialists, therapists, nurses, CNAs, social workers, and administrators who cared for Mick throughout his final chapter. The family is especially grateful to the dedicated teams at Mayo Clinic Health System, Orchard Hills, and Dove Healthcare-West for the compassion, dignity, patience, and kindness they showed Mick and his family. Their care and support during an incredibly difficult time will never be forgotten.