Michael Brady joined the Peace Corps out of college and went on to a long career in human services, working as an advocate for those with mental illnesses and holding executive positions with agencies including Metropolitan Family Services.
Mr. Brady, 61, died of a stroke as a result of an undetermined type of cancer Sunday, Nov. 27, at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said his wife, Maria Garvy. He was a resident of Oak Park.
Born in Chicago and raised in Bellwood, Mr. Brady got a bachelor’s degree in biology from Loyola University and then joined the Peace Corps, serving in South Korea from 1972 to 1974. He focused on health education in schools and on administering a control program for tuberculosis in a rural area of the country.
“From his humble beginnings in the Peace Corps establishing health education, you can see how he was drawn to the most vulnerable members of society. He had a passion to serve others and make a difference in their lives,” said Karina Ayala-Bermejo, general counsel and vice president of human resources at Metropolitan Family Services.
Back in the U.S., Mr. Brady received a master’s in social work from Loyola and interned with Metropolitan Family Services’ North Center. He worked in foster care for Central Baptist Family Services, first as a caseworker beginning in 1979 and then, from 1984 to 1987, as a supervisor for the organization’s emergency and specialized foster care program.
He then moved to the University of Illinois Division of Specialized Care for Children, an agency that receives funding for children with special needs. His responsibilities included managing a budget of $1.6 million and developing a collaborative program with the Shriners Hospitals for Children in Chicago.
“He has a sense of service for the needy and for people with special needs,” his wife said. He was “a man filled with passion for doing justice, a man who was indignant at economic disparity.”
Mr. Brady then worked as vice president of enterprise and quality for Glenkirk in Northbrook, which works with people with developmental disabilities. He oversaw the formation of 40 group homes with grant funding from 13 United Way branches.
For the last 11 years, Mr. Brady worked for Metropolitan Family Services, one of the first and largest social service agencies in Chicago. He was co-executive director of the Southeast Chicago Center and executive director of the Southwest Center, which includes Palos Heights and Blue Island.
“He was leading staff at two big facilities that couldn’t have been more different from each other,” said Ricardo Estrada, president and chief executive officer of Metropolitan Family Services. “He was one of our most valuable employees.”
During his tenure, Mr. Brady oversaw a transition at Metropolitan Family Services from a system based on grants to one involving fee-for-service billing.
“He navigated that very, very well and put programs in a very strong position,” said Dennis Hurley, chief financial officer of Metropolitan Family Services.
“He was engaging and respectful of everyone he came into contact with. He (realized) that everyone has an important role,” said Colleen Jones, chief operating officer of Metropolitan Family Services. “They’re wearing different shoes but walking down the same road.”
Mr. Brady’s family recalled his love of books and travel.
“He was very kind and patient, an observer and an activist, and someone who was always finding the good in people,” said his daughter Madeline. “He was someone who longed for knowledge and adventure. He read every night, fiction and nonfiction. He loved to hike and loved exploring different cultures.”
Mr. Brady is also survived by two other daughters, Gabrielle and Alice; his mother, Mary; and three sisters, Mary Beth Bright, Kathleen Staff and Therese Hustis.
Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Giles Catholic Church, 1045 Columbian Ave., Oak Park.
