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.

Don enjoyed golf and was a member of Skokie Country Club in Glencoe since 1976. He frequently traveled to Scotland, Ireland and England with his wife to play golf courses there. He loved bagpipe music and all things Scottish.

Interment is private. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, 675 North St. Clair St., Suite 20-100, Chicago, IL 60611-2923; or The Baptist Theological Union, BTU Trustees Fund, 5801 S. Ellis Avenue, 5th Floor, Chicago, IL 60637; or the National Parkinson Foundation, 1501 N.W. 9th Avenue/Bob Hope Road, Miami, FL 33136-1494. Arrangements are under the direction of the Wm. H. Scott Funeral Home in Wilmette, 847-251-8200.