By Stephen Anderson

Rockford attorney Keith H. Hyzer was doubly honored during the recent annual meeting of the Winnebago County Bar Association.

Not only was he recognized as a 50-year member, which he expected, Hyzer also received the Winnebago County Bar Foundation's annual Judge Seely Forbes Award, which he deserved but didn't anticipate.

The 1958 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law will be honored this year as an ISBA Senior Counsellor for a half-century of membership in good standing.

Hyzer's service to the profession includes having been president of the Winnebago County Bar in 1981-82, and a member of the ISBA Real Estate Law Section Council from 1978 to 1983 and its chair.

But that is not why he received the coveted Seely Forbes Award. The honor is reserved for the kind of legal professional who has a unique reputation for serving clients and colleagues with civility and dedication to the principles of a noble calling.

Hyzer was nominated by Kaycee I. Chadwick, a lawyer at Hyzer, Hyzer & Jacobs since 2005, who expressed her "good fortune" at having him "as my mentor and boss."

Chadwick wrote that "Keith does not demand respect, he earns it. Sadly, few of my peers can say the same of their superiors."

She added that he "kept his door open to me, gave me quality and challenging work, met with me on a daily basis, and spent countless hours imparting his experience and advice."

Keith Hyzer's partner in law, and life, is Nancy Hyzer, a 1984 graduate of the Northern Illinois University College of Law who also has been president of the Winnebago County Bar.

She, too, served on the ISBA Real Estate Law Section Council from 1992 to 1996 and was associate newsletter editor.

Three other 50-year Rockford attorneys are on the ISBA Senior Counsellor list published on page 5. They are Robert W. Gosdick, Joseph A. Morrissey and Elmer C. Rudy.