Born May 3, 1931 in Dixon, Illinois, John was 78-year resident of Downers Grove. Breen was a hospital pharmacist for 40 years but was always interested in the past. John was quoted as saying, “I’ve read quite a bit of history” and it came in very handy during his 20 years of generous volunteer service to the Downers Grove Museum. The Downers Grove Historical Society named John Breen the 2015 Historian of the Year for his service in helping to identify and preserve Downers Grove artifacts and photographs. He was a graduate of Downers Grove High School in 1949 and a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1954. He was also an Army Veteran. He passed away in 2017, and in lieu of flowers, he wanted all contributions to go to the Downers Grove History Museum or the Downers Grove Library.
