Craig L. Kavensky 1957-2019
Craig L. Kavensky, 61, of Rock Island, died Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019, at home surrounded by his loving family.
Craig was born on Sept. 12, 1957, to Louise (Rosengard) and Harrison Kavensky. After graduating from Rock Island High School, he received a bachelor’s degree from University of Illinois, and his Juris Doctor from Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law. He was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1982 and joined his father as an attorney at one of the Quad-Cities' oldest law firms, now known as Winstein, Kavensky and Cunningham LLC.
As a lawyer, Craig concentrated on workers’ compensation and personal injury cases and served as managing partner of the full-service law firm for most of the past 15 years. During his 37 years in practice, he was passionate about representing the interests of men and women who were injured on the job. His clients were consistently awarded and recovered significant sums; several cases in excess of $1 million. Throughout his career, Craig's main goal was helping his clients and their families receive the benefits and compensation to which they are entitled. He was highly-regarded by the legal community for his dedication to all parties involved in the cases he handled.
He was a member of the American Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the Illinois Worker's Compensation Lawyers Association, and the Rock Island County Bar Association. He was selected and was a member of the Leading Lawyers Network in the state of Illinois. Craig was a lifetime member of the United Auto Workers union.
Craig has served as a board member for the Black Hawk College Foundation, Tri City Jewish Center, and the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities. As a lifelong resident of Rock Island, Craig was passionate about making this community a better place to live as exemplified by his appointment to the City of Rock Island Preservation Commission and the Development Association of Rock Island. As a member of the Rock Island County Building Commission, he was instrumental in the design and construction of the Rock Island County Justice Center Annex.
As a fervent and accomplished golfer, Craig had the skill and good fortune of having two hole-in-ones at Crow Valley Golf Club, where he served as past president on the board of directors. Craig helped shape the lives and golf games of many Quad City youth as a board member for the First Tee of the Quad Cities and as the assistant golf coach for the Rock Island Girls Varsity Golf Team.
A true family man, Craig was deeply committed to his faith and a loyal friend to all who knew him. He will be remembered for his fairness, honesty, and genuine love of helping others. He was a consummate politician who never served in an official capacity but was able to bring both sides of the table to an agreeable outcome. In addition to his mother, he is survived by his wife of 31 years, Jodie (Shagrin), of Rock Island; a sister, Wendy (Michael) McCollom, of Orinda, California, and their daughter, Tamar, of Brooklyn, New York; and his two daughters, Mia Rose Kavensky, of New York City, and Dr. Elisse Kavensky, of Miami, Florida.