Obituaries

Theodore Van Winkle, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016, at home.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Betty Gail (Summers) Van Winkle; his daughter, Cynthia G. Thomas and husband, Steve, of Mount Vernon; his son, James L. Van Winkle and his wife, Lois, of Dahlgren; his daughter, Theodora Ann Barenholtz and her husband, Jan, of Fairfield, Connecticut; six grandchildren, Adrienne E. Van Winkle and her fiancé, Seth T. Bridge of Washington D.C., Jonathan L. Van Winkle of Dahlgren, Michael J. Bassi, of Covington, Kentucky, Daniel Barenholtz of Fairfield, Connecticut, Lt. David Barenholtz and his wife, Claire, of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Jonathan Thomas of Mount Vernon; and one great-granddaughter, Kori Thomas. He is also survived by his younger brother, Phil J. Van Winkle and his wife, Nancy, of Orlando, Florida; and their children, Philip R. Van Winkle, James Michael Van Winkle and Sherry Allen.

Jerome A. Frazel, 89, of Beverly, died Feb. 6.

Born in 1926, after graduating from St. Teresa’s Catholic School in Coral Gables, Fla., in a class of ten students, Frazel entered the University of Notre Dame. He then matriculated at Georgia Tech in Atlanta after entering the U.S. Navy.

After his military service, he attended law school at Notre Dame. While at Notre Dame, he met his future wife of 65 years, Joanne K. Hickey, who was studying at St. Mary’s College.

Thomas S. Johnson, 73 of Rockford, senior partner of one of Rockford's oldest and largest law firms, died unexpectedly at home on February 15, 2016.

Born May 21, 1942, in Rockford, son of Fred C. Johnson and Pauline Ross Johnson. He graduated from East High School in 1960 where he excelled in debate and received the Oratorical Contest award. He graduated from Rockford College in 1964 and then received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1967.

He served in the U.S. Army from 196870, where he received the Meritorious Service Medal. Tom then returned to Rockford to join the law firm founded by his mentors, Karl Williams and John C. McCarthy, and began a distinguished legal career that lasted 46 years. He concentrated his practice in trust and estate law and received the highest recognition in his specialty by being named as a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.

He was instrumental in the growth and success of WilliamsMcCarthy LLP and was President of the law firm from 1987 to 2002. Tom possessed a brilliant mind, a sharp wit, and was unwavering in his support of the firm, his colleagues, his community and the legal profession. In the tradition of Daniel Burnham, his motto was "Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood."

Sharon L Pulsifer, 72, well-known Moline, Illinois, attorney, died Wednesday, January 27, 2016, in Silvis, Illinois.

Sharon was born April, 1943 in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1963 she married Harrison Pulsifer with whom she had four children. She graduated from St. Ambrose University before earning her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois in 1979.