Joseph Z. Sudow, a community leader and noted attorney with more than seven decades of legal experience, formerly of Peoria, died Sept. 9. He was 98.

Born April 15, 1914, in Sioux City, Iowa, to Sam and Sarah Sudow, Joe was raised in Aberdeen, S.D. Joe graduated from the University of Michigan in 1935 before going on to earn his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1938.

After practicing law in Chicago, Joe became the Peoria District rationing attorney in 1943, where he worked to help provide government rations of gasoline and fuel oil during World War II. In 1945 he opened his own law practice in Peoria, and in 1950, served as supervisor of the U.S. Census for the 10th Congressional District in Illinois. Joe joined the law firm of Kavanagh, Scully, Sudow, White and Frederick LLP as a partner in 1958 and retired as Of Counsel in 2011 after his 97th birthday, when he and his wife Shirley moved to Washington, D.C.

During his career, Joe represented a variety of clients in corporate and business law, estate planning and other areas and was an active and contributing member of the Peoria County and Illinois State Bar Associations. A past president of the Peoria County Bar Association, Joe was recognized in 2005 as one of its "Pillars of the Bar" for his decades of leadership in the Bar and the community. He served as president of the Peoria County Bar Association, as a former chairman of the federal taxation section of the Illinois State Bar Association and as a former chairman of the Liaison Committee between the Illinois State Bar Association and the District Office of the Internal Revenue Service. He was a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. He also served on the Business Corporation Advisory Committee to the Secretary of State of Illinois. He co-authored, with Irving Goldstein, the law school textbook, "Trial Practice Cases."

Joe was active in community affairs, serving on the board of directors of various civic groups, including serving as vice president of the Greater Peoria Civic Association, president of both the Peoria Community Chest & Council and the United Fund of Greater Peoria. He was attorney and secretary of the Peoria Development Corporation from its inception in 1960 until its distribution to the city of Peoria. Joe was the recipient of an Honorary Alumnus Award from Bradley University.

An active member of the Jewish community, Joe served as president of Anshai Emeth Temple, the Jewish Community Council and the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Great Lakes Council. He was a national board member of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.

Joe resided in Peoria for over 60 years. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, an ardent golfer and die-hard Michigan Wolverine fan.

He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Shirley Heller Sudow; two children, William Sudow (Kathleen Murphy) and Ellen Sudow (Joe Higdon); four grandchildren, Alyson Sudow, Elyse Howard (Taggart), Will and Sarah Higdon-Sudow; a stepgrandson, Robert Higdon; two great-grandchildren, Max and Eli Howard; and a sister, Joy Sager.

Joe was predeceased by sisters, Dina Steinberg and Miriam Soboroff.

A private memorial was held in Washington, D.C. A celebration of Joe's life will be scheduled for the spring in Peoria.

Those wishing to share their thoughts and memories of Joe with the family are encouraged to write to Shirley Sudow, 5901 MacArthur Blvd., NW, Apt. 388, Washington, D.C., 20016; or by email via either wesudow@gmail.com or elsudow@gmail.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions in Joe's memory be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 6931 Arlington Road, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814 or to Anshai Emeth Temple in Peoria, Ill.