Robert F. Sharp

Sharp, Robert F. Chicago attorney Robert F. Sharp, formerly of Winnetka, died October 21, 2014. During a distinguished legal career that spanned six decades, he argued successfully before the Supreme Court of Illinois and made important contributions to civic life in Chicago. Mr. Sharp served as general counsel for The State Street Counsel (now the Chicago Loop Alliance), for two decades until 1990. During his tenure, he met with five Chicago mayors and engaged in numerous city council meetings, guiding the organization through a transformation of That Great Street. He enjoyed a childhood on Chicago's South Side and maintained lifelong friendships from O'Keefe Grade School, regularly meeting with childhood friends to reminisce about their youth throughout his life. As a child, he attended piano concerts at the Chicago Symphony with his family, where he developed a love for piano and played his entire life. At the age of 16, he worked as a copyboy at the 1952 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Wanting to walk the convention floor, he posed as a soda vendor and stood with the Chicago delegation during speeches by Estes Kefauvor and Adlai Stevenson, beginning a lifelong fascination with Chicago and national politics. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois in 1958, and went on to attend night school at DePaul University College of Law, receiving a J.D. in 1962. As a law student, he worked as an agent in the organized crime unit of the Department of Treasury's Internal Revenue Service, investigating notorious Chicago mobsters and attending their trials. He also made many lifelong friends at DePaul, including classmates and his professor Rev. John T. Richardson, C.M., Chancellor of DePaul University, who remained a dear friend until Mr. Sharp's death. Mr. Sharp's lifelong volunteerism included serving as chairman of the Northern Illinois Affiliate of the American Diabetic Association in 1981. In addition, he counseled several charities that serve underprivileged children and youth throughout Chicagoland. He served on the board of the Union League Club's Boys & Girls Clubs, and also served on the Club's history, public affairs and blindness committees. In his retirement, Mr. Sharp served on the Human Concerns Commission at Holy Name Cathedral's parish, coordinating with Catholic Charities to feed and meet the needs of hungry Chicagoans. In addition to his wife, Mary, other survivors include his sons, Matthew (Martha), and Daniel (Tatiana), of Los Angeles; devoted grandfather of two; brother of the late Dr. James F. Sharp, as well as many extended family members whose lives were touched by him. Services have been held. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Vincentians' Congregation of the Mission, Western Province, 13633 Rider Trail North, Earth City, Missouri 63045, or at: www.vincentian.org