Obituaries

Edward Smith Mraz, a resident of Schererville, Indiana, went to be with the Lord March 28, 2020. Ed was a good and righteous man, and a wonderful and caring husband, father and friend. He was very loved and respected by all who knew him.

Maurice “Maury” Bone, 96, of Belleville, born March 1, 1924, passed away March 12, 2020, in Columbia.

Mr. Bone was born and raised in East St. Louis, Illinois, graduated from East Side High School in 1941, graduated from St. Louis University (B.S.) in 1947 and from St. Louis University Law School in 1951. He also attended Washington University as both an undergraduate and postgraduate student.

Raymond L. Prusak, 64, proud father of Iris [Kelly] Kanapaux, Sydney and Jake Prusak, loving grandfather to the young Quinn Kanapaux, passed away on March 7. 

A criminal defense attorney with a soft spot for the underdog, Ray dedicated his life to representing people across Illinois, working his hardest to get them a second chance. After practicing law for 30 years, Ray’s new career was devoted to those battling addiction and mental health issues amidst the opioid crisis, most recently as a senior coordinator at Norwegian Hospital.  As always, working for people during the lowest times of their life.

Justice Charles E. Freeman, who had a long and distinguished career on the Illinois Supreme Court from 1990 to 2018 and was the first African American to serve on the Court and as Chief Justice, passed away on March 2, 2020. He was 86.

“It is with great sadness that I have learned of the passing of Justice Charles E. Freeman. Charles and I had been acquaintances for several decades before I joined the court, having often attended many of the same social events,” Chief Justice Anne M. Burke said. “However, we became close friends once we became colleagues and I considered Charles to be my mentor. He was a gentleman and a truly gracious individual. I never heard him say an unkind word about anyone. He was a consensus builder and treated everyone equally and with respect.”