Joel W. Townsend, 94, of Placida, Fla., formerly of Mt. Carmel, passed away Monday, Sept. 30, 2013 in Florida.
He was born Sunday, Nov. 17, 1918 in Mt. Carmel, to Ben H. and Madge (Simpson) Townsend.
Joel was an attorney; graduate of Northwestern University Law School and practiced law with his father, Judges Robert Keenan, George Timberlake and Stephen Sawyer. With his wife, they owned Radio Call, Inc. in Georgia.
Hugh James "Jim" Bagley, 72, of Rockford died peacefully in his home on Sept. 27, 2013, after a short battle with cancer. He will be remembered as a loving husband, father, and "Danda." His wise counsel and strong character will leave a long-lasting legacy.
Jim was born in Manchester, GA, on January 14, 1941, son of Hugh and Elizabeth (Hill) Bagley. Jim attended both undergrad and law school at the University of Georgia. He proudly served 21 years in the US Air Force. In September 1967, Jim took a life-changing flight on TWA, where he met a stewardess named Milena Chomko. They married in 1969 and recently celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary.
He was a savvy and intrepid traveler, and he always wanted to visit new and faraway places. He was a tireless advocate for his clients during forty years of legal practice. However, his greatest joy was investing time and energy in his family, especially his five grandsons. He truly set the standard for being a grandfather.
Jim is survived by his wife, Milena; his children, Noelle (Chris) LaLiberty and Jason (Summer) Bagley; grandsons Kevin, Colin, Ryan, Jacob, and Connor. He is predeceased by his parents and his sister, Barbara Staples.
Memorials may be directed in Jim's name to Heartland Hospice, 363 Financial Court, #300, Rockford, IL, 61107. Cremation Society of Illinois assisted the family. To extend condolences go to caringbridge.org/visit/jimbagley.
Hon. William Robert Quinlan, age 73, passed away on Oct. 1 in Wilmette.
Quinlan was a native of Chicago's South Side and graduated from Loyola University's School of Law in 1963. He served as corporation counsel for the city of Chicago under Mayors Richard J. Daley, Michael A. Bilandic and Jane M. Byrne. He was elected as a Cook County Circuit Court judge in 1980. In that position, he presided over trials involving the Rosemont Horizon roof collapse, cases stemming from a salmonella outbreak and the first asbestos trial here. Quinlan was appointed to the 1st District Appellate Court in 1985 and elected the next year.
In January 2003, Bill was recognized as a Laureate of the Illinois State Bar Association Academy of Illinois Lawyers. In October 2005, he received the Illinois Bar Foundation's Distinguished Award for Excellence. Bill was a member of the Society of Trial Lawyers, the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and the American Bar Association Council of the Section of Litigation. He was also a Fellow of the American and Illinois Bar Foundations.
Bill served as Judicial Liaison of the Illinois State Bar Association since 1995 and as Chairman of the Judicial Advisory Council of Cook County since 1991. Bill also served as Special Counsel to the President and Parliamentarian of the Board of Commissioners of Cook County, and was Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago under Mayors Richard J. Daley, Michael Bilandic and Jane Byrne.
Richard K. Smith Sr., 83, of Savanna, died Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013, at The Alverno in Clinton, Iowa.
Richard was born Oct. 27, 1929, in Rockford, the son of Harold Anderson and Alyce L. (Johnston) Anderson. Harold passed away and Alyce later married Lawrence Smith Sr. who adopted Richard.
Richard attended and graduated from Savanna High School and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana in 1956. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with his law degree.
Richard began practicing law with his father, Lawrence Sr., and his brother, Lawrence Jr., in Savanna in the mid 1960s. He later co-founded Smith Law Office in Savanna in 1975 and practiced law in northwest Illinois until his retirement in 2011. During his career he was the village and town attorney for many years for several towns in the area including Elizabeth, Savanna and Shannon.
Richard belonged to and enjoyed participating with the Savanna Rotary.
He also loved spending his time watching trains, studying history and war and spending time on his farm. Most of all, Richard cherished the time he spent with his family and his friends.
Richard will be dearly missed by four children, Richard K. Smith Jr., David A. (Wendy) Smith, William H. Smith and Alyce A. Smith; a grandson, Garrett K. Smith; and his brother, Lawrence (Donna) Smith.
Richard was preceded in death by his parents.
Memorials may be given to the Savanna Rotary in Richard’s memory.
Judge C. Howard Wampler, 79, of Wyanet passed away Sept. 4, 2013, in Perry Memorial Hospital, Princeton.
He was born Dec. 13, 1933, in Bloomington to Calvin and Dorothy (Williams) Wampler. Howard married Diane Pierson on Dec. 30, 1966, in Joliet.
He moved with his family to Wyanet when he was in the second grade. Howard graduated from Wyanet High School in 1951 and went on to college at Illinois Wesleyan University, graduating in 1955.
He then received his law degree from the University of Illinois.
He served in the U.S. Army from 1959 to 1961. Following his service he practiced law in Bureau County becoming state’s attorney from 1964 to 1968 and acting as a public defender in 1970. In 1971, he became a magistrate and an associate circuit judge.
Then in 1974 he was appointed circuit judge until his retirement on Dec. 31, 1993.
His various memberships include chairman of Region 8 of the Illinois Law Enforcement Commission, Illinois Judges Association, representing the Wyanet Fire Protection District, a life member of the Elks Club, dual member of Masonic Lodge No. 722 A.F. and A.M. in Walnut and No. 249 in Sebring, Fla., and he was involved with the Shriners organization.
Howard was of the Christian faith and associated with First Lutheran Church in Princeton.
The Honorable Judge Gene Nottolini, 69, of Elgin passed away on Sept. 5, 2013. He was born on July 9, 1944, in Elgin, the son of Dino and Margaret (Lamz) Nottolini.
Gene attended St. Joseph Grade School and St. Edward High School. He attended St. Louis University for undergrad and law school. He worked as an attorney from 1968 to 1984. In 1984, he was selected as an associate judge serving in traffic, felony, family and juvenile courts. Judge Nottolini was appointed circuit judge in 1989, elected in 1990 and retained by voters until his retirement in 2005. Judge Nottolini served as chief judge of the 16th Judicial Circuit from 1993 to 1996.
In 1983, Judge Nottolini was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States. In 2004, he was able to reserve a place for 50 attorneys from the Kane County Bar Association to be sworn in to practice law before the Supreme Court of the United States.
Judge Nottolini served as ethics advisor for the Kane County Board from 2008 to 2012, and was currently serving on the Ethics Boards for Sherman Hospital and Elgin Community College.
Survivors include the love of his life, Kay (McKeown) Nottolini, whom he married on Sept. 3, 1966; two sons, Gene Nottolini Jr. and Joseph Nottolini; five grandchildren, Augie, Izzy, Natalie, Sal and Vinny; a brother, Jules (Marylyn) Nottolini; his "favorite" sister-in-law, Colleen McKeown, along with many nieces, nephews, family and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and his brother, Rick Nottolini.
The Illinois Supreme Court will hold a memorial service in honor of the late Justice Moses W. Harrison II. Tributes will be given by Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride; Steve Miller, senior law clerk to Justice Lloyd A. Karmeier; Paula H. Holderman, president of the Illinois State Bar Association; and Leonard Amari from the Justinian Society of Lawyers.
WHAT: Memorial Service honoring the late Justice Moses W. Harrison II
WHEN: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 – 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Former Supreme Court Chambers, State Capitol Building, Room 212, Springfield
Justice Harrison was born in Collinsville and educated in Collinsville public schools. He received his undergraduate degree from Colorado College and his law degree from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis in 1958. After the private practice of law, he was appointed as a circuit judge in 1973 by the Illinois Supreme Court and was elected in 1974 to that position. At the time of his appointment, he was senior partner of the law firm of Harrison, Rarick and Cadagin in Collinsville.
In 1979, Justice Harrison was appointed to the Illinois Appellate Court in the Fifth Judicial District. He was elected in 1980 to that position and was retained by voters in 1990.
Justice Harrison was elected to the Supreme Court in 1992. He served as Chief Justice from January 2000 until his retirement in September 2002.
Michael Patrick Mullen, Sr. has passed away on September 17, 2013. On June 7, 1942 he was born, raised and lived in the Chicago area.
Michael started out his career as a CPA in 1965. He then graduated from DePaul University with a Juris Doctor. He was a determined litigator with a "never give up" attitude. He honed these skills as a U.S. Assistant Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois under U.S. Atty Gov. Jim Thompson in his famous "kiddie corps". The kiddie corps were a group of young Attorneys who helped clean up corruption in the City of Chicago in the early 70's. They prosecuted over 2000 public officials some of which was documented in the book Beneath the Badge. He won a highly publicized trial in the defense of the MacArthur Foundation in Florida in the 70's.
He paved the way in the implementation and prosecution of the Indian Arts and Craft Act which was a great benefit to Native Americans. He was always available to give advice to those in need. He practiced law for over 40 years as a litigator.
He was a diehard Cubs, Bears and Blackhawks fan. His fondness for the water was shown in his owning of powerboats over the years. He picked up running, from his former wife Mary, and completed 2 marathons which he experienced the feeling of "hitting the wall". He enjoyed racquetball as well. His love of skiing was demonstrated on the family ski trips to Colorado with his 5 sons, Michael, Daniel, Timothy, Matthew and Edward. His passion for music was confirmed through his love of dancing and hitting the town in one of his multiple colorful Zoot suits with his wife Danuta and his sister Kathleen and her late husband Bob.
Creed D. Tucker passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on Friday, September 6, 2013.
Creed was born April 30, 1924, in Glendale, Calif., to Constance Davis and Creed Airol Tucker. His father was a pharmacist and his mother was a homemaker. In 1933 Creed's father had the opportunity to return to Illinois to run the family farms in Pesotum, and the family moved to Illinois. As his parents were great travelers, Creed's youth was spent between Pesotum and Glendale.
After graduating high school from Peekskill Military Academy in Peekskill, N.Y., Creed began attending the University of Illinois. But, like so many others during this era, his education was cut short by World War II. He was commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Navy and served for just more than three years. The majority of his naval service was as the executive officer aboard a 135-foot converted tuna clipper, a refrigerated commissary ship for the Pacific Fleet. He also participated in the liberation of the Philippines.
After the war was over, Creed returned to the University of Illinois, where he graduated with a degree in journalism in 1948. As he missed California, Creed chose to begin his journalism career covering the police beat for the Los Angeles Mirror. While he enjoyed the majority of his time at the L.A. Mirror, he came to realize that this was not his final calling. He decided that he would return to Illinois to attend law school.
Winston J.M. Block, 71, passed away on August 26, 2013 at Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center. He was born April 24, 1942 in Hyde Park, IL, the son of Theresa (Mayer) Block and Max Block.
Winston, a U.S. Army Veteran and recipient of the Bronze Star, practiced law in the Joliet area for over 50 years. He received a Juris Doctorate Degree from John Marshall Law School and was also a medical school graduate from Spartan Health Sciences in St. Lucia. He was a law Professor at both John Marshall and Joliet Junior College.
Mr. Block, also a world traveler, enjoyed many endeavors during his life, including being an innkeeper, a pilot and an ostrich rancher.
He was the beloved husband of Cathy Wintersteen Block of Joliet; loving father of Tyler (Penelope) Block of Dana Point, CA and Tiffany (Scott) Vaughan of Nashville, TN; proud grandfather of Amory and Arabella Block and Anna Vaughan; dear brother of Michael (Judith) Block of Shorewood, and beloved uncle of sixteen. Also survived by his mother-in-law, Phyllis Wintersteen. Preceded in death by his daughter, Tanja Block; his parents; father-in-law, Carroll Wintersteen and sister-in-law, Colleen Powers.
As it was Mr. Block's wish, Cremation Rites will be accorded. In lieu of flowers, memorials in his name to the Salvation Army, the Spanish Community Center or the Forest Park Community Center would be appreciated.