Frank M. Covey 1932-2012
Frank M. Covey Jr. of Barrington Frank M. Covey Jr., 79, formerly of Mount Prospect, passed away peacefully Sunday, March 18, 2012. Frank was born Oct. 24, 1932, in Chicago.
He was a dedicated husband, loving father, accomplished lawyer and law professor. He was a person of the upmost moral character who in his career, with his family or in any aspect of his life placed everyone ahead of himself. He met the love of his life, Patricia, in high school during a debate. He represented Loyola Academy and she represented Aquinas High School. Thirteen years later they reunited through a random encounter at the famed Chicago restaurant, The Bergoff. After much trepidation, Patricia asked her twin sister to call Frank and pretend it was her. Frank called Pat back and asked her out. One year later they were engaged and then married at St. Phillip Neri on Chicago's south shore. Frank and Pat celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past October.
Professor Covey joined the School of Law faculty in 1988 as a visiting professor of law and retired in 2002. After graduating from law school, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable U.S. Schwartz of the Illinois Appellate Court, then spent one year as a teaching associate at Northwestern Law School. From 1960 to 1988, he was in practice in Chicago with McDermott, Will & Emery. He had chaired a number of committees and sections of the Chicago Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association and the American Bar Association.
He served as a senior fellow of the Center for Public Resources, New York City, and served as a task force leader on alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, a division of the Special Commission of the Administration of Justice in Cook County. He was a member of the board of trustees of Loyola University for eight years, and he served as president of Loyola's Alumni Association, Law Alumni Associaton, St. Viator High School's board of trustees and the Union League Club of Chicago.
Frank was the beloved husband of Patricia Covey (nee McGill); dear father of Geralyn (Tony) Betts, F. Michael III (Jennifer) Covey and Regis P. (Tracy) Covey; cherished grandfather of Amanda, Julia, Alexis, Frank IV, Adrienne and Ignatius; and fond brother of Barbara J. Hickey.