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Obituaries

  • January 13, 2016 | People
    Marvin D. Dunn 1930-2015

    Marvin D. Dunn, 85, of Batavia passed away Saturday, December 26, 2015, at The Tillers in Oswego. He was born June 4, 1930, in Normal, Illinois, the son of Ollie E. Dunn and Ruby (Bradley) Dunn. 

    Marv graduated from Normal Community High in 1948, attended Illinois State University graduated from the University Of Illinois School Of Business in 1954 and received his Law degree from the University of Illinois in 1957. He joined the Sears and Streit Law firm of Aurora as an associate in 1957, then joined Arthur Puklin and Jerome Nelson in 1964 forming Puklin Nelson and Dunn, Attorneys at Law, Aurora Illinois. He served as an Assistant States Attorney of Kane County representing the Kane County Board and The Kane County Forest Preserve. He was elected Circuit Court Judge, 16th Judicial Circuit in 1976-1986, serving as Chief Judge from 1981-1983 and again in 1985-1986. Marv became an Appellate Court Justice in 1986, serving until his retirement in 1992. 

  • December 14, 2015 | People
    Thomas Smith 1939-2015

    Thomas R. Smith, 76, of Danville passed away at home on Monday (Nov. 23, 2015).

    Thomas was born Aug. 6, 1939, to Kenneth and Naydean (Phillips) Smith. He married Nancy (Underwood) Nixon on June 6, 1975; she survives.

    Also surviving are a stepdaughter, Melissa (Matthew) Muirhead of Danville; his children, Kenneth Smith of Milwaukee, Thomas Smith of Zionsville, Ind., Melinda Smith of Zionsville, Michele (Mark) Jones of Monrovia, Ind.; and eight grandchildren, including a very special grandson, Grant Thomas Muirhead.

    He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Jack Smith.

    As a youth, he was active in Boy Scout of America, earning his Eagle Scout badge and representing his council several times in both national and international gatherings. He was a member of the Danville Jaycees, serving a term as president. He was an avid sports fan, especially Illini sports and the Indianapolis Colts.

    Thomas graduated from Danville High School in 1957, DePauw University, Greencastle, Ind. where he was a member of the golf team in 1961, and the University Of Illinois College Of Law in 1964.

    He practiced law in Danville for 50 years and was a partner in the law firm of Acton & Snyder. Thomas was also a member of both the Illinois and Indiana State Bar Associations, as well as the Vermilion County Bar Association.

  • December 14, 2015 | People
    J. Robert Murphy 1923-2015

    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. 

  • December 10, 2015 | People
    Hon. Jean Prendergast Rooney 1970-2015

    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.”

  • December 7, 2015 | People
    Ferdinand P. Serpe Jr. 1955-2015

    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.

  • November 23, 2015 | People
    George Patrick Lynch 1932-2015

    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 1911-2015

    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.

  • November 20, 2015 | People
    John Doyle 1928-2015

    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.

  • November 20, 2015 | People
    Charles Pressman 1922-2015

    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.

  • November 16, 2015 | People
    James Elson 1931-2015

    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)