Daniel Francis Rahill

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Daniel Francis Rahill III, who departed this life on October 19, 2024. He was truly larger than life, with a legacy of boundless joy, remarkable intellect, and untiring dedication to family and friends that will continue to send waves through those who knew him for generations to come.

Dan was born on September 24, 1957, in Williamsville, New York, to Daniel Francis Rahill Jr. and Arlene Rahill, and is survived by his younger brother Kurt (Marianne). A proud swimmer for the University of Notre Dame, he graduated in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, and went on to receive his law degree and LL.M. from DePaul University College of Law.

Dan raised four sons in his marriage with Mary Clair Tollaksen: Daniel IV (Juli), Kevin (Heather), Patrick, and Colin. He later became “Pop-Pop” to his grandsons: Daniel V, JP, Landen, and a fourth on the way. In 2019, he married Christine Rahill, who brought him great love. They lived together in Naples, Florida at the time of his death.

Dan’s illustrious career in Chicago spanned several decades and left a lasting impact on the tax and wealth management field. He spent 27 years with KPMG, where he held numerous leadership roles in his 21 years as a tax partner, including tax managing partner of the Chicago Metro Business Unit and trustee of the KPMG Foundation. He would later join Wintrust Wealth Management as a Managing Director. Dan was often published and interviewed in the media, including The Chicago Tribune, Crain’s Chicago Business, ABC7, and Yahoo Finance. A master of his profession, Dan left every room more brilliant than it was before.

Dan was an incredibly selfless and caring person with a level of expert knowledge that few will ever come close to rivaling. But the thing he cared about most in his life, the thing he was most proud of, was his boys. Dan was always quick to update any and all who would listen about his sons’ recent accomplishments—whether they wanted to hear it or not. In a very impressive career filled with accolades, nothing came close to the admiration he had for his sons, and he sent them more emails and texts than they could keep up with.

Aside from being truly one of the funniest men to ever live, Dan was a man of seemingly invincible joy and inexhaustible love. His last years were some of his best, as he traveled, golfed, scuba dived, attended ‘70s rock band concerts, and relaxed with the wife he loved so much.

It is said that the true mark of a saint is joy. Dan, in his own unpredictable and utterly unique way, was an American saint, magnifying everything we find joyful in this life and making it so irresistible that others could not help but laugh along with him. Gone too soon, he will be remembered forevermore.

May he rest as he lived: in joy.

Anyone seeking to honor his legacy is invited to contribute to the Daniel F. Rahill Family Scholarship of Notre Dame, which provides assistance to undergraduate students that have demonstrated financial need. Gifts can be made at giving.nd.edu/rahill, or by mailing a check to 1100 Grace Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556 (Please reference Dan Rahill in the memo line of the check or documentation accompanying the check).

For Dan’s endless accomplishments, we will try to summarize them here. His remarkable service extended across numerous professional and academic organizations, where he generously shared his expertise and leadership. He served as Secretary on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Attorneys—CPAs, president of its Illinois chapter. Dan held long-term advisory positions in the accounting departments at Notre Dame, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Northeastern Illinois University. A distinguished Illinois CPA Society member, Dan chaired its board in 2014-15 and was honored with its highest accolade, the Lifetime Achievement Award, in 2023 for his extraordinary service to the CPA community. He dedicated 14 years as Finance Chair of Chicago Metropolitan Family Services, and he was an active member of both the Notre Dame Monogram Club and the University Club’s Finance Committee.