Post-politics
Derwinski resided in Glen Ellyn, Illinois with his wife, the former Bonita Hickey. He had two adult children, Maureen and Michael, from his first marriage to Patricia Derwinski.
On January 15, 2012, Derwinski died at a nursing home from Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare form of skin cancer. He was 85 years old.
On learning of his death, former United States Senator Peter Fitzgerald (R-IL) described Derwinski as "a giant in Illinois politics ... e had incredible connections in all the different ethnic neighborhoods in Chicago, he was really loved by everybody on both sides".
"Mr. Derwinski's outgoing personality and experience in Chicago politics and business served him well during his decades in Washington", said Senator Mark Kirk, who first met Derwinski in the 1980s. "He was utterly personable, made you feel like part of the team ... He was somebody that was well-grounded in his principles and his patriotism but brought a gritty Chicagoland get-it-done feel to his work", Kirk said.
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