J. Robert "Bob" Murphy passed away peacefully at home in Geneva on November 18, 2015, just days before his 92nd birthday. He was born November 26, 1923 in Chicago, to William and Louise (Florence) Murphy.
Bob graduated from West Aurora High School in 1941 and received a scholarship to Harvard University. While at Harvard, in 1943, Bob was inducted into the U.S. Army. He served in the Army Air Force for three years before returning to Harvard to resume his education, entering and attending Harvard Law School from 1946 to 1948. Bob then returned to Aurora, where he opened his law practice in 1949.
Bob married Teresa (Chambers) on September 4, 1950, and together, they had six children.
Obituaries
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December 14, 2015 |
People
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December 10, 2015 |
People
Even though her leukemia returned after she endured a stem cell transplant, Judge Jean Prendergast Rooney didn’t let that prevent her from hosting Thanksgiving.
She ordered a catered Thanksgiving meal — making sure it was gluten-free for celiac-sensitive relatives — and arranged a sit-down dinner for 10 in her room at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Two weeks later, the respected jurist died at 45, leaving three children behind.
Jean Prendergast Rooney, an appellate law expert and judge of the Cook County Circuit Court, died Tuesday at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
She was the first woman from her law class to become a member of the judiciary, according to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, her former classmate at Loyola University School of Law.
“And this is an impressive feat,” Madigan noted at Mrs. Rooney’s swearing-in, “in part because Jean was the youngest member of our law school class going through Loyola’s elite six-year accelerated program. So Jean finished college and started law school while the rest of her peers were struggling through what was hopefully their senior year.”
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December 7, 2015 |
People
Ferdinand P. Serpe, Jr., 60, passed away on December 5. Devoted husband of Roseanne (nee Falzone) Sorrentino Serpe; Beloved son of Elizabeth "Betty" and the late Ferdinand Serpe, Sr.; Loving brother of Elizabeth Serpe; Dear godfather and friend to many.
Fred was the principal of Law Offices of Ferdinand P. Serpe and Associates, former executive director of Illinois Trucking Association, past president of the West Suburban Bar Association, was active in the Justinian Society of Lawyers and was president emeritus of the Italian American Political Coalition.
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November 23, 2015 |
People
George Patrick Lynch died peacefully in his home on November 13, 2015. George is survived by his loving wife, Joan; their children, G. Patrick and Lori Lynch; Patrick's wife Amy, and grandchildren George and Vivian.
Visitation will be held on December 4th, 2015, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at Ascension of Our Lord Catholic Church, 1 S314 Summit Ave. Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois 60181; preceding Mass at 10:00 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to Chicago Jesuit Academy, 5058 Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60644; or Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, 1140 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60607.
1 comment (Most recent December 8, 2015) -
November 20, 2015 |
People
William J. Quinn, age 104, passed away peacefully on October 24, 2015, at Vi at the Glen Care Center in Glenview, IL surrounded by his family, formerly from Winnetka, IL. He was born on May 8, 1911 in St. Paul, MN. He is preceded in death by his father William, his mother Celina, his brother George, his sister Marie and his beloved wife of 65 years, Floy Isabel (Heinen) Quinn. He lived a full and interesting life.
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November 20, 2015 |
People
John "Jack" Michael Doyle, age 87, a longtime resident of both Flossmoor and Naperville, IL passed away Saturday, October 17, 2015 at Seasons Hospice in Naperville. He was born April 2, 1928 in Chicago.
Jack was a World War II veteran. After returning from the war he graduated from Michigan State University and went on to obtain a juris doctorate from Chicago Kent College of Law. He was an attorney and certified public accountant. He was President and CEO of Cinder's Incorporated, a material service company located on the east side of Chicago, from 1959 until his retirement in 1985. He was an avid golfer and outdoorsman.
Of Jack's many lifelong accomplishments, his most treasured was his sixty-two year marriage to his loving wife JoAnn. He was a former member of St. Raphael Parish in Naperville, a member of the Naperville Country Club. He is survived by his wife JoAnn (nee Hawley) Doyle; his children Maurice (Leslie), Pamela (Steven) MacDonald, John Jr. (Patty) and Mark (Liz) Doyle, Karen (Tim) Leiser and Susan (Tim) Price; "Boppa" to eighteen grandchildren, a sister Joan Caplis and a daughter-in-law Kathy Doyle. He was preceded in death by his son Lawrence, his parents Kathryn and James Doyle and six siblings.
Services have been held.
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November 20, 2015 |
People
Chicago attorney Charles Pressman was "an indefatigable champion of the little guy," colleagues said.
"He was a credit to the bar," said Abner Mikva, a former classmate of Pressman's at the University of Chicago's law school who later became a U.S. congressman, federal judge and chief counsel to President Bill Clinton.
"My earliest recollection of Charlie is of a bright, young law student who got excited every time our class discussion veered off towards civil rights, civil liberties or the (U.S.) Constitution," Mikva said. "He was an excellent debater, never wishy-washy, who held his ground and let his passions be known from the start."
Pressman, 92, died of heart failure Oct. 2 at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital. A resident of Lake Forest Place retirement community for the past 3 1/2 years, Pressman had previously lived in Highland Park and Wilmette.
After graduating from law school in 1951, Pressman co-founded Pressman & Hartunian, a Chicago law firm that specialized in consumer fraud, employment discrimination and civil rights violations cases. During the 1950s and '60s, Pressman also was a director of the Chicago chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
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November 16, 2015 |
People
James J. Elson, 84, died at Graham Hospital in Canton Monday, Nov. 9, 2015.
He was born at Pontiac Aug. 5, 1931, the son of Howard J. and Bernadine (Twomey) Elson. He married Nancy Popel at Lena Aug. 7, 1954. She survives, along with their five children, Marygrace (Don Schroeder) Elson, Iowa City, Iowa, Joan Bernadine (Steven) Moore, Chicago, James J. (Alice M. Stevens) Elson Jr., Canton, Stephen P. (Ann M.) Elson, Miami, Fla., and John C. (Andrea M.) Elson, Fort Collins, Colo. He is the beloved grandfather of 10 grandchildren, Stephen, Brian, Charlotte, Gabriela, Michael, Kerri, Joseph, Katherine, Matilda and Edward; two stepgrandchildren, Gabrielle and Grace; and great-grandfather of Olivia. He is further survived by two sisters, Mary Anne Elson, Springfield, and Carol (Victor) Abell, West Lafayette, Ind.
2 comments (Most recent November 19, 2015) -
November 3, 2015 |
People
Justice Thomas R. Fitzgerald, who retired from the Illinois Supreme Court in 2010 after a long and distinguished career, passed away Sunday at his home. He was 74.
Justice Fitzgerald's 34-year judicial career was marked by duty, grace, innovation, and an unparalleled dedication to advancing the quality of justice for those he served. He was a model for integrity.
"Having joined the court shortly after his election in 2000, I had the privilege of serving with Justice Fitzgerald for a decade," Chief Justice Rita B. Garman said. "Before we both arrived on the Supreme Court, Justice Fitzgerald and I had known each other for almost 30 years – ever since we both became rather young members of the judiciary."
"Over the many years, he never changed. He was a warm and caring person, and even when on the bench, his demeanor revealed his genuine concern about the people who appeared before him. Tom Fitzgerald was dedicated to serving the people of Illinois and to making the judicial system as fair, efficient, and accessible as it could possibly be."
In addition to being a fine jurist, Chief Justice Garman said Justice Fitzgerald shared his gifts with others by teaching lawyers and other judges at numerous educational programs.
"He was also a true scholar of the life and work of Abraham Lincoln and a devoted man of faith," Chief Justice Garman added. "The people of Illinois were privileged to have Thomas Fitzgerald as a member of the Illinois Supreme Court for a decade, and I was privileged to be his colleague and friend."
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October 30, 2015 |
People
Metropolitan Family Services is saddened to share that Attorney Grace Newgard, Director of the Pro Bono Project at the Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services, passed away Sunday, October 25, 2015 after an extended battle with pancreatic cancer.
Grace earned her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and joined the Legal Aid Society in 2006 as its first full-time pro bono director. She developed a thriving pro bono initiative that matches thousands of low-income clients with volunteer attorneys and provides access to justice to vulnerable people who cannot afford representation. Her many contributions include: