Obituaries

Maurice Dailey, Sr., passed away in his sleep at his home in Edwardsville on Sept. 22, 2011.

Maurice was born June 25, 1922 in Auburn, Ill., to Mae and Daniel H. Dailey. He started his schooling at St. Boniface in Edwardsville and moved to Taylorville when he was 8 years old. After graduating high school, he attended Illinois College in Jacksonville.

While attending college, he worked for the deaf and blind school. Upon graduation he enrolled in Notre Dame Mid-Shipman's School. From there he served in World War II in the Pacific as captain of a mine sweeper.

After the war, he returned to Taylorville, working in the mines and eventually entering John Marshall Law School in Chicago, where he graduated top of class in June, 1950.

From college, he relocated to Granite City, Ill. Maurice became associated with Roscoe Forth in 1950.

Maurice married Judith Ann Jester July 15, 1951, after meeting her in law school. They resided in Granite City until 1973, but his law practice continued in Granite City for a total of 52 years. His practice included real estate, condemnation, probate, banking, corporate and construction law.

It is with great sorrow that Wildman Harrold announces the death of Max Wildman — one of Chicago’s most legendary trial lawyers, founder of Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP, mentor and role model to hundreds of young attorneys, and civic leader. Mr. Wildman passed away on September 16, 2011. He was 91.

Although his lawyering skills were extolled on the front page of The Wall Street Journal and by Dirksen Federal Building court buffs whose newsletter ranked him “number one,” Wildman took his greatest pride in starting Wildman Harrold in 1967 and watching it grow from a small operation to a national law firm whose longstanding reputation in litigation is now complemented by its intellectual property and transactional practices. The firm represents private businesses and Fortune 500 companies.

Such growth could only be dreamed of over forty years ago, when Wildman, already recognized as one of Chicago’s top trial lawyers for his representation of clients like IBM, left a secure position at the well-established Kirkland, Fleming, Green, Martin & Ellis (now Kirkland & Ellis LLP) to strike out on his own with three partners and two associates.

Donald A. Gillies, 79, of Wilmette, formerly of Winnetka, passed away on August 12, 2011. Mr. Gillies was the beloved husband of Judith; loving father of Beth; dear brother of Jean.

A 1953 graduate of Denison University, Mr. Gillies was a member of Phi Beta Kappa; he earned the J.D. at Northwestern University in 1956. Specializing in taxation and estate law, Don was a partner with the law firm Altheimer & Gray, which he joined in 1961, and was Of Counsel with Holland & Knight from 2003 until his retirement. He was a former Illinois State Chairman of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, and had served as Chairman of the Federal Taxation Committee of the Chicago Bar Association and a longtime member of the Illinois State Bar Association. Don had been a regular contributor to professional law journals and a frequent public speaker for professional organizations.

From 1977 to 1983, Don served on the Board of Trustees of the University of Chicago. He served for 27 years until his retirement in 2001 as Board President of The Baptist Theological Union, located in Chicago. He was also Vice President and a member of the Board of Directors of the Baptist Retirement Home in Maywood, Illinois. In addition, he was President from 1986-1988 of the Illinois Saint Andrew Society, the oldest philanthropic organization in Illinois. He was recognized each year for over twenty years in "The Best Lawyers in America" since its First Edition in 1983.

William (Bill) Lovekamp Niemann, 91, passed away peacefully in Tucson, Arizona, on July 30, 2011. A resident of Evanston and Winnetka for many years, he will be greatly missed as a father, grandfather and friend.

Mr. Niemann was born on July 20, 1920, in Jacksonville, Illinois. He grew up as the middle of three children in Arenzeville, Illinois. He earned a B.A. from Carthage College (1941) and a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law (1947, Cum Lauda, Order of the Coif). His law school education was interrupted by World War II, during which he proudly served in the medical and transportation corps of the U.S. Army, eventually achieving the rank of First Lieutenant. His military service included tours of duty in Europe, Africa and Italy.

Mr. Niemann began his law career in 1947 as an attorney with Snyder, Chadwell & Fagerburg in Chicago, and later served as regional attorney for Montgomery Ward & Company in Oakland, California. There he met and married (1956) Doris Elizabeth Greenstreet (1926-2008), his devoted wife of 52 years. They relocated to the Chicago area where Bill began a 25-year association with Brunswick Corporation in Chicago and Skokie, eventually serving as Vice President-Law, Secretary and General Counsel.

During this time he and Doris lived in Evanston and Winnetka, where they raised two sons and attended Trinity Lutheran Church in Evanston. Bill also served on the Board of Trustees of Carthage College, as a member of the Law Club of Chicago, as an officer of the American Society of Corporate Secretaries, and as Director of the Oakton Community College Foundation. Doris and Bill retired to Tucson in 1990.