Carey Nachtigall, a beloved advocate for Chicagoans with HIV who worked with AIDS Legal Council of Chicago (ALCC), passed away at hom March 16, surrounded by family and friends after a long and arduous battle with cancer.
Diagnosed with HIV in his 20s, he had been on disability for several years when volunteer work; a job as a paralegal with the AIDS Legal Council of Chicago allowed him to return to an energetic and purposeful life of advocacy.
Nachtigall is survived by his partner, Enrique (Henry) Chang; his mother, Gloria Nachtigall; his two sisters, Fran and Aline Nachtigall; extended family; and many friends.
Born and raised in Long Island, N.Y., Nachtigall moved to Illinois to attend school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he received a degree in psychology, and then later completed his Masters coursework in counseling at the University of Illinois at Springfield. In Champaign, Carey worked with the Gay Community AIDS Project, where he served as an openly HIV-positive speaker to school and professional groups.
During his nine years as a paralegal and client advocate at ALCC, Nachtigall’s co-workers fondly remembered him as a gruff, sarcastic New Yorker (and devoted Yankees fan) with a seemingly limitless capacity for empathy. Ann Fisher, ALCC’s executive director, once asked him if he usually disclosed his own HIV status to his clients. He said “Almost never—I don’t want it to be about me; it’s about them.” But when he met a client who was truly in despair, he didn’t hesitate to share his own fears and struggles.
Nachtigall’s warm spirit and strong character will be missed terribly. Funeral services have been held in New York. A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held in Chicago at a time yet to be announced. At the request of his family, any donations made in Carey’s honor should be addressed to: AIDS Legal Council of Chicago, 180 N. Michigan, Suite 2110, Chicago, Ill., 60601.
To learn more information about the memorial service as it becomes available, please contact Anne Schmidlin, AIDS Legal Council of Chicago, at 312-427-8990 or visit www.aidslegal.com.