Mario J. Perez, 77, of Woodstock, passed away Oct. 31, 2012, at home surrounded by his family after succumbing to prostate cancer.

He was born Jan. 19, 1935, in Seneca, to Carmen and José Perez, who immigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900s from Guanajuato, Mexico. He was raised in Marseilles, before moving to Chicago in the 1940s.

On May 8, 1965, he married Esther Peterson of Ames, Iowa, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Chicago.

Mario attended St. Patrick's Academy at Adams and DesPlaines streets in Chicago on a basketball scholarship and graduated in 1953, University of Illinois, Navy Pier, from 1953-55 and graduated from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, in 1957 with a major in history and minor in anthropology. He obtained his Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law in 1960. He was a member of Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity and served in the U.S. Army Reserves.

In 1960, he began practicing law in Chicago at CNA Insurance Co. After nine years in Chicago, he moved to Woodstock to work at the law offices of Josyln and Green. Soon thereafter, he started a private practice in Woodstock that he continued until 2012. From the late 70s to early 90s, he also operated an office in Waukegan.

He was a member of McHenry and Lake County bar associations as well as being a founding member of the Mexican American Lawyers Association and the Latin American Bar Association, which today is known as the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois.

He was involved in many civic organizations aimed at promoting people's knowledge and understanding of Hispanic heritage as well as mental health and human relations issues plus historic and environmental preservation including: McHenry County Latino Coalition, McHenry County College Hispanic Advisory Council, founding member of the McHenry County Mental Health Board, McHenry County Human Relations Council (chairman), Consumer Credit Counseling Services, Bull Valley Association and the Illinois Storytellers Festival.
Sports was his first love. He also was a lifelong learner and lover of books.

His many interests included European and Latin American history and culture, anthropology, genealogy, nature, wildlife, fishing, carpentry, wine, family, music, dancing and getting lost on the back roads of Illinois and Iowa.

Survivors include his wife, Esther; sons, Paul (Gasia) of Oakland, Calif., and David; daughter, Christine; two grandsons; two sisters, Mamie Guerra of Marseilles and Carmen "Lito" Perez of Chicago; four brothers, Jesse (Lin) Perez of Palatine, Ignatius "Nacho" Perez of North Aurora, Russell Perez of Palos Hills and John (Sandy) Williams of Mokena; and numerous nieces and nephews.

If desired, memorials may be made to the Hospice and Palliative Care of Northeastern Illinois, 405 Lake Zurich Road, Barrington, IL 60010 or the Northwestern Memorial Foundation (Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center), Galter Pavilion, Suite 3-200, 251 East Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611, or St. Mary Parish, 312 Lincoln Ave., Woodstock, IL 60098.