Robert E. Bard, 99, died on June 4, 2017, in Tempe, AZ. He grew up in Chicago and attended Tilden Technical High School, and graduated from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana in 1940. During World War II, he served in the 1st Armored Division, in Algeria, Tunisia and Italy. He was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious achievement in 1943. After the war, he continued to serve in the Army Reserves, and retired as Lt. Col.

Mr. Bard graduated from Harvard Law School in 1948, and began practicing law at Wilson & McIlvaine in Chicago. In 1952, while working on a cigarette tax evasion case, he was appointed assistant attorney general of Illinois by Gov. Adlai Stevenson. Mr. Bard later worked for the Seng Co., Chicago, a manufacturer of furniture hardware, and he became president of the Seng Co. in 1966. He later received a MA from John Marshall Law School, Chicago, and practiced federal taxation law in Chicago with Bates, Dupree, Bard & Wilson.

He and his family were long-time residents of Park Ridge, and later Chicago. Mr. Bard and his wife Rosemary retired to Scottsdale, AZ in 1985. He lost Rosemary in 1997 due to cancer. Through a support group for those who had lost their spouses, Mr. Bard eventually met Marion Shaw, whom he married, and they spent 10 happy years together.

Mr. Bard is survived by his daughters Kathryn and Sara Bard, his grandson, Joshua Lazar, and stepchildren Leslie and Jeffrey Shaw.

Colonel Albert "Matt" Hutmacher of 2030 SE Wilmar Drive, Quincy, died June 27, 2017, at the age of 76. He was born December 21, 1940 in Quincy, a son to Paul and Evelyn (Hollenstine) Hutmacher. He married Mary Heidbreder on December 29, 1967. They were blessed with two children, Matthew and Gretchen, whom Matt was very proud of. 

Matt was a 1958 graduate of Quincy Notre Dame, attended Quincy University from 1958 to 1960, a 1962 graduate with honors of St. Louis University, and he received a J.D. from Northwestern University in 1965. He valued his education and was most fond of his time at SLU. 

Matt served in the United States Army and Illinois Army National Guard. During the Vietnam War, he served 19 months in the United States and South Vietnam. He was stationed at Long Binh and Saigon with the 1st Signal Brigade and subsequently with the 126th Supply & Service Company (DS) National Guard Company at Chu Lai. Matt retired as Colonel after 26 years of service. In the spring of 2016, with his secretary as his Guardian, the 126th (also known as "The Hallmark Unit") traveled together on the Great River Honor Flight. 

Charles C. Brewer of Silver Spring, MD, passed away on May 10. He was born in Aurora on October 21, 1937, the son of Rev. Jonathan Brewer and Arietta Dyer Brewer.

Charles graduated from East Aurora High School in 1955 where he was an outstanding student, played trombone in the band and orchestra, and also participated in cross country and track. Following graduation he attended Oberlin College (Ohio) for one year and then Aurora College for two years. After serving in the army from 1961-1963, he was employed as an analyst by Automatic Electric Company until August 1968. He then enrolled at Northern Illinois University and received his BA in 1970. In 1972 he received a MBA from Indiana University. Then he enrolled in law school at the University of Illinois and in 1975 received his J.D.

Following law school Charles was a professor at North Carolina A&T University, Greensboro, NC, where he taught business for two years. During this time period he also passed the bar exam. In 1977 he moved to Chicago and was employed as a manager at U.S. League of Savings Association. Then, in January 1981 he moved to Silver Spring, MD, and was employed by the Office of Thrift Supervision, a division of the Treasury Department and retired in August, 2015.

Charles was active in Toastmasters and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History and was a Frederick Douglass Scholar. He was a prodigious genealogist, an expert in Civil War Pension files and gave lectures at several conferences. A lover of music he also sang in several choral groups.

He is survived by his daughters Maya Ansong (Charles) and Ashley Childs, his son Joshua Childs and four grandchildren.

David A. North was born in Rockford on November 20, 1929, the son of Frank P. and Rhoda Woodman North, passed away in Florida on June 3, 2017. He graduated from Rockford West High School, where he was recipient of the American Legion Citizenship Award. He attended University of Wyoming on a football scholarship, then transferred to University of Arizona, where he was captain of the golf team. Following graduation, he became a naval officer and served in Korea as a fighter pilot aboard the USS WASP aircraft carrier. After his military service, he attended the University of Illinois School of Law, where he earned his J.D. He was a practicing attorney in Rockford for many years following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Attorney Harry North and his father, Attorney Frank North. He was a member of Rockford Country Club, Kiwanis Club, and served on the board of Winnebago County Department of Health.