Marybeth (O'Brien) McGill was born on July 12, 1962. She graduated from DeKalb High School in 1980 and went to Northern Illinois University (NIU), graduating in 1984 with a bachelor's degree in education. Marybeth married Lance McGill in July 2004 and remained in the DeKalb area. She was an exceptional swimmer, receiving top place awards and high-ranking accomplishments. 

At the age of eight, Marybeth began her swimming career, joining the DeKalb Park District swim team at Hopkins Park pool. She fell in love with swimming immediately. She was rewarded with success, finding the perfect outlet for her competitive nature.

As she grew in age and as a swimmer, she found another trait that went hand in hand with swimming. She discovered the enjoyment of helping others improve as swimmers. As one of the elder members of the team, she began to help coach others. 

Her success in swimming continued when she joined the DeKalb High School Girls Swim Team. She went to state meets and placed all four years of high school. The success she earned led her to pursue a swimming career during her years at NIU.

At NIU, she majored in education and earned her teaching certificate. Working with little kids in an elementary setting made her realize what she truly enjoyed. She enjoyed helping youth develop into the best young people that they could be.

After graduating from NIU, Marybeth did many things but never left her roots in DeKalb or wavered in her desire to help others. She was the aquatics director at the Kishwaukee YMCA, where she taught kids how to swim. Marybeth coached the DeKalb County Swim Team, teaching kids to be better swimmers. She taught at the Kishwaukee Education Consortium and coached DeKalb High School Swim Teams, overseeing the team cooperative with Sycamore High School. She also helped numerous swimmers make it to state.

Marybeth was soft-spoken about her accomplishments which only endeared her further to those that knew her. She took great pride in watching others become successful. Her pride wasn't in knowing the hand that she played in their success; instead, she saw the happiness of the kids she helped and the smiles on their faces.

Marybeth (O'Brien) McGill passed away on March 3, 2012, after a long battle with stage 4 lung cancer. Her funeral was a testament to all of the lives that she touched. From memorial contributions, the Marybeth O'Brien McGill Scholarship Fund came into existence at the DeKalb County Community Foundation. The Fund honors the legacy of Marybeth and provides an annual scholarship award to a member of the DeKalb High School Girls Swim Team who demonstrates excellent academic performance.