Ferdinand P. Serpe, Jr., 60, passed away on December 5. Devoted husband of Roseanne (nee Falzone) Sorrentino Serpe; Beloved son of Elizabeth "Betty" and the late Ferdinand Serpe, Sr.; Loving brother of Elizabeth Serpe; Dear godfather and friend to many.

Fred was the principal of Law Offices of Ferdinand P. Serpe and Associates, former executive director of Illinois Trucking Association, past president of the West Suburban Bar Association, was active in the Justinian Society of Lawyers and was president emeritus of the Italian American Political Coalition.

William J. Quinn, age 104, passed away peacefully on October 24, 2015, at Vi at the Glen Care Center in Glenview, IL surrounded by his family, formerly from Winnetka, IL. He was born on May 8, 1911 in St. Paul, MN. He is preceded in death by his father William, his mother Celina, his brother George, his sister Marie and his beloved wife of 65 years, Floy Isabel (Heinen) Quinn. He lived a full and interesting life.

Chicago attorney Charles Pressman was "an indefatigable champion of the little guy," colleagues said.

"He was a credit to the bar," said Abner Mikva, a former classmate of Pressman's at the University of Chicago's law school who later became a U.S. congressman, federal judge and chief counsel to President Bill Clinton.

"My earliest recollection of Charlie is of a bright, young law student who got excited every time our class discussion veered off towards civil rights, civil liberties or the (U.S.) Constitution," Mikva said. "He was an excellent debater, never wishy-washy, who held his ground and let his passions be known from the start."

Pressman, 92, died of heart failure Oct. 2 at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital. A resident of Lake Forest Place retirement community for the past 3 1/2 years, Pressman had previously lived in Highland Park and Wilmette.

After graduating from law school in 1951, Pressman co-founded Pressman & Hartunian, a Chicago law firm that specialized in consumer fraud, employment discrimination and civil rights violations cases. During the 1950s and '60s, Pressman also was a director of the Chicago chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Justice Thomas R. Fitzgerald, who retired from the Illinois Supreme Court in 2010 after a long and distinguished career, passed away Sunday at his home. He was 74.

Justice Fitzgerald's 34-year judicial career was marked by duty, grace, innovation, and an unparalleled dedication to advancing the quality of justice for those he served. He was a model for integrity.

"Having joined the court shortly after his election in 2000, I had the privilege of serving with Justice Fitzgerald for a decade," Chief Justice Rita B. Garman said. "Before we both arrived on the Supreme Court, Justice Fitzgerald and I had known each other for almost 30 years – ever since we both became rather young members of the judiciary."

"Over the many years, he never changed. He was a warm and caring person, and even when on the bench, his demeanor revealed his genuine concern about the people who appeared before him. Tom Fitzgerald was dedicated to serving the people of Illinois and to making the judicial system as fair, efficient, and accessible as it could possibly be."

In addition to being a fine jurist, Chief Justice Garman said Justice Fitzgerald shared his gifts with others by teaching lawyers and other judges at numerous educational programs.

"He was also a true scholar of the life and work of Abraham Lincoln and a devoted man of faith," Chief Justice Garman added. "The people of Illinois were privileged to have Thomas Fitzgerald as a member of the Illinois Supreme Court for a decade, and I was privileged to be his colleague and friend."