John Van Duzer

John Braband Van Duzer, age 98, of Naples, Florida, formerly of Evanston and Kenilworth, Illinois passed away peacefully on October 4, 2015, following a brief illness. John is survived by his beloved wife of 61 years, Helen Van Duzer, and by two living children, John (Catherine) Van Duzer, Jr. and Carolyn Jane Van Duzer. John and Helen's third child, Joseph, predeceased him earlier this year. John was also a loving grandfather to Christopher (Sara) Van Duzer and Gregory (Amy) Van Duzer; a dear brother of Georgiana Fleming, and a loving uncle of Vanette Fleming. John was born in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago on April 8, 1917. From an early age, he was an accomplished student, graduating from Lakeview High School at the age of 16. From there, John attended Wabash College in Indiana, where he earned a coveted academic scholarship (during the Depression era) and earned Phi Beta Kappa honors. As a senior, John was selected as President of his class. John was the starting catcher on the Wabash varsity baseball team for several years, and occasionally played semi-pro baseball with the "Guy Bush Gassers," a team organized by the former Chicago Cubs pitcher. In addition to baseball, John enjoyed music, playing both the flute and piccolo in the band and orchestra during his years at Wabash. He also enjoyed composing music, and was selected to play in the band at the Chicago College All-Star game at Soldier Field. Following college, John enrolled in Northwestern Law school, and served on the Law Review publication. Following graduation from Northwestern, John was hired by the Office of Price Administration (OPA) in Washington D.C. as a Chief Enforcement Attorney. In 1942, John joined the Navy where he served for nearly four years as a Chief Procurement Officer, negotiating contracts with businesses and universities to aid in the war effort. Following the war, John returned to the practice of law. In 1949, John joined together with Lou Gershon and Perry Quinlan to form the law firm of Van Duzer, Gershon & Quinlan. The firm soon expanded to become Van Duzer, Gershon, Jordan and Petersen, and was in existence for over 50 years. John's practice included a significant number of workers' compensation cases, and he argued several cases before the Illinois Supreme Court. One of his more interesting and publicized cases involved a horse racing jockey who had been injured in a race when thrown from his horse. John enjoyed the practice of law immensely, and continued working into his mid-70's. Outside of work, John was very involved in family activities. John was a long-time tennis member at Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park, and enjoyed playing tennis until well into his 80's. John also enjoyed travel to the "north woods" of Wisconsin during the summer, and spent many a day fishing with his grandsons during his retirement years. Among family and friends, John was known for his integrity, his compassion, and his generosity. He will be missed greatly by family and those who knew and worked with him. A private memorial service has been held.