People

Charles Stuart “Stu” Broad, resident of Westminster Village in Bloomington, passed away there Saturday (March 23, 2013) peacefully, with family by his side.

His memorial service will be at 2 p.m. May 11 at Westminster Village. He was a retired attorney and devoted husband and father.

Stu was born Sept. 24, 1927, in Lincoln, Neb., son of Elizabeth G. and Robert A. Broad; and he grew up in Amery, Wis., and Richfield, Minn. He met Mary Lavery, later his wife of 61 years, as a student at the University of Minnesota. Stu and Mary graduated, married, started a family and lived in the Washington, D.C., and Chicago suburbs, settling in Chevy Chase, Md., where they lived for 43 years. Stu earned a bachelor of laws at George Washington University Law School while working on the Capitol Hill Police Force. He started his career as a trial attorney, later specializing in industrial and labor relations law. In Washington, D.C., he participated in early civil rights sit-ins for desegregation.

During his 58-year career, he supported and headed the civil rights and labor relations programs at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Department of Defense, Atomic Energy Commission and Department of Energy.

He and Mary raised five children. He valued education, self-initiative and friendship. He shared with his family his love of bicycling, hiking and camping, bird-watching, whale-watching, tennis, outdoor sports and American history, as well as his love of music and guitar.

A brand new firm continuing a tradition of excellence, Tomasik Kotin Kasserman, LLC, opens its doors this week.  After decades with the greats of Chicago law, Corboy & Demetrio partners Dan Kotin and Shawn Kasserman and Clifford Law Offices partner Tim Tomasik now are joining forces to build a practice proudly dedicated to representing the interests of those seriously injured or killed as the result of wrongful conduct.

Collectively, the attorneys of the TKK law firm have won more than $400 million in settlements for their clients over the years, working on some of the highest-profile legal cases in popular memory.  Tomasik, who frequently handles aviation and personal injury issues, represented victims of the 2002 John Hancock Center scaffolding collapse and was part of the team handling the World Trade Center property damage litigation in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks.  Kotin, a personal injury and wrongful death attorney, represented victims in the 2003 Cook County Administration Building fire and has served as lead counsel in numerous high profile cases involving fires, train derailments and other catastrophes.  Kasserman, who is best known for his work representing the families of children killed by defectively designed products, has also served as lead counsel in matters including train derailments, bus crashes, the Nicor mercury spill and the Amoco cancer cluster in Naperville.

Robert W. Dodd, 75, of Champaign passed peacefully at home on March 28.

Funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. April 2 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Urbana. Father Joe Hogan and Father Ronald Dodd will officiate. Burial will be in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Champaign.

Mr. Dodd was the president and managing attorney for Dodd & Maatuka in Champaign. He was mayor of Champaign from 1983-1987.

Survivors include his wife of 43 years, Joyce; his six children, Cathy Dixon of Aurora, Steve (Jill) Klein of Paxton, Joan Harry of Indianapolis, Ind., Jean Wynn of Champaign, Brenda Nelson of Champaign and Jim (Marnie) Klein of Indianapolis, Ind.

Mr. Dodd was the grandfather of 13 children and the great-grandfather of 10 children. He is also survived by his siblings, Carol Maroon of Florida, Fran (Tom) Frederick of Florida, Rita of Chatham, Father Ronald Dodd of O'Dell and Brother John Dodd of Las Vegas, Nev.

Mr. Dodd was preceded in death by his parents, Warren and Florence Dodd; his brother, Gene Dodd; and a grandson, Jeremy Nelson.

Memorials may be made to St. Patrick Church Building Fund.

Miles William Hughes, 44, known for his singular wit, passion for life and love of his family, passed away suddenly in the arms of his lifelong love, Leigh Ann Hayward Hughes, in Oak Park on March 17.

Miles met Leigh Ann while in Raa Middle School in Tallahassee, Florida, forming a strong friendship that blossomed into love, marriage and two adored children, Ragan 16, and Reece 10.

He was born on June 20, 1968 in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, to William and Jane Hughes, joining his sisters, Cindy and Sallie. They moved to Tallahassee in 1977, where Miles grew up in the extended family First Presbyterian Church. Miles graduated from Lincoln High School in 1986 before attending the University of Florida, where he received a Bachelor's degree in political science with a minor in history.

Miles married Leigh Ann on May 16, 1992, in Tallahassee. He attended Florida State University College of Law, where he served on the law review and earned a JD in 1997. He was honored to clerk for Justice Ben Overton of the Florida Supreme Court. At the time of his passing, he was an Income Partner for the McDermott, Will & Emery law firm in Chicago.