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Obituaries

  • March 4, 2010 | People
    John W. Rapp Jr. 1940-2010
    The Honorable John W. “Jack” Rapp Jr., of Mount Carroll, passed away last Friday while surrounded by family and friends at Tidewell Hospice House, Sarasota, Fla. Jack graduated from Loyola University with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 1962, and Loyola School of Law in 1965. He was a partner in the law firm of Eaton, Leemon, and Rapp, until his election as a circuit judge in 1970. Read the full obituary at saukvalley.com.
  • February 23, 2010 | People
    Frank Edelman 1919-2010
    Longtime tax attorney Frank Edelman passed away earlier this month at his Gold Coast home on the North Side of Chicago. Mr. Edelman received both his undergraduate and J.D. degrees from Northwestern University. Mr. Edelman balanced work as a real estate tax attorney doing "mitzvahs" -- good deeds. He represented worthy organizations for free when they needed help. Click here to read the full obituary in the Chicago Sun-Times.
  • February 18, 2010 | People
    James Bandy 1919-2010
    James H. Bandy, 90, died late last month at Memorial Hospital in Belleville. Mr. Bandy was an attorney for Listeman, Bandy & Hamilton, Attorneys at Law. He was a founder and former chairman of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) of the Supreme Court of Illinois. Click here to read the full obituary in the Belleville News-Democrat
  • February 18, 2010 | People
    Ellis Leighty 1917-2010
    Ellis E. Leighty passed away late last month passed away at the Wesley Village Healthcare Center in Macomb. Mr. Leighty served in World War II and graduated from the University of Illinois in 1948. He received his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in 1951. Ellis' most famous legal client was Burl Ives, when Ellis served as local counsel to Burl and wife, Helen, in the purchase of Warren County, Ill., farmlands and again a few years later when they sold those lands as a part of their divorce proceedings. Click here to read the full obituary in the Peoria Journal Star.
  • February 18, 2010 | People
    Edward W. Kowal 1924-2010
    Former DuPage County Chief Judge Edward W. Kowal passed away late last month in Lombard after a battle with cancer and Parkinson's disease. Judge Kowal was a DuPage County Circuit Court Judge in 1985 when he presided over the three trials and numerous courtroom hearings involving the Nicarico case. Judge Kowal "was the kind of person you'd want as a judge," said Wheaton attorney Joe Laraia, who worked under Judge Kowal in the DuPage state's attorney's office during the 1960s and '70s. "He was extremely fair, always kept his cool and used sound judgment," Laraia said. "He had a strict code of ethics that always prevailed." Click here to read the full obituary in the Chicago Tribune.
  • February 3, 2010 | People
    Edward J. Downs 1937-2010
    Edward J. Downs, a lawyer described as having a soft tough for those in need, passed away from pancreatic cancer last week. Mr. Downs spent five years with the Cook County Public Defender's Office before becoming McHenry County's first public defender. "I think he really semi-adopted his clients," said Chuck Murphy, a criminal defense attorney who met Mr. Downs 37 years ago. "He took an interest in that [client's] case, but also in what was going on in the person's life." Mr. Downs received his master's degree from Loyola University and his law degree from DePaul University. Click here to read the full obituary in the Chicago Tribune.
  • February 3, 2010 | People
    Mike Rogers 1963-2010
    Former Cook County prosecutor and legal consultant Mike Rogers of LaGrange recently passed away. Mr. Rogers was a 1981 graduate of Fenwick High School. He graduated from Regis University in Colorado and received his law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law. "Mike was the best at bringing new technology to the courtroom - in graphics, audiovisuals and re-enactments," said Chicago attorney John Lyke, who worked with Mr. Rogers in the Cook County state's attorney's office. "He was a hard-charging professional, and someone who was great at training other trial lawyers." Click here to read the full obituary in the Chicago Tribune.
  • January 27, 2010 | People
    Timothy Condon Sr. passes away
    Rockford attorney Timothy J. Condon Sr. passed away last month at his home in Loves Park after a courageous battle with cancer. Mr. Condon graduated from the University of Notre Dame and received his law degree from the University of Wisconsin. Click here to read the full obituary in the Rockford Register Star.
  • January 27, 2010 | People
    Alex Abate passes away
    Rockford attorney Alex Abate passed away last month at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minn. Abate earned his bachelor's degree in economics and juris doctorate from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. After school, Abate returned to Rockford, where he practiced law for 35 years. He practiced with the Abate & Smith Law Firm for 13 years. Click here to read the full obituary in the Rockford Register Star.
  • January 22, 2010 | People
    Charles Robert Vaughn passes away
    Charles Robert Vaughn died last month at age 87, in Olney after a short illness. Vaughn graduated from Millikin University in Decatur in 1943, and, following service in the United States Marine Corps, from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1948. He was a longtime member of ISBA, and served a total of 32 years in the State's Attorney's Office of Richland County: 8 as an assistant and 24 as the elected State's Attorney (1952-64, 1968-80). He was married to the former Elizabeth Gassmann, who predeceased him in 1985. They had nine children, eight of whom survive, as well as 22 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. Two of Vaughn's sons, Charles Bradley Vaughn and Ray Vaughn, are attorneys in Olney, Illinois. Two of his grandchildren are also attorneys: Corrie Valrose of Chicago, and Charles Zachary Vaughn with Patton & Ryan, also in Chicago. Further obituaries are available at olneydailymail.com and herald-review.com (Decatur).