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.

Beloved husband of Colleen (nee Stanton) and the late Jane (nee Phelan); loving father of William John (Lisa) Quinlan, Erin (Joseph) Kraft, Kathleen Anne, Colleen Elizabeth, Kevin Francis, Matthew Stanton and the late Patrick Charles Quinlan; dear grandfather of Billy and Jane Quinlan, J. Patrick and Parker Kraft; devoted son of the late William Edward and Josephine Anne Quinlan.

Visitation Friday, October 4, 2013, 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Donnellan Family Funeral Home, 10045 Skokie Blvd., at Old Orchard Road, Skokie, IL 60077. Funeral Mass, 10:00 a.m., Saturday, October 5, 2013 at SS. Faith, Hope & Charity Church, 191 Linden Avenue, Winnetka, IL 60093. Interment All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines, IL.

In lieu of flowers, memorials to Patrick Charles Quinlan Scholarship Fund, c/o Loyola University School of Law, 25 East Pearson Street, Chicago, IL 60611 or University of Saint Mary of the Lakes Seminary, 1000 East Maple Avenue, Mundelein, IL 60660, would be appreciated. Info: www.donnellanfuneral.com or 847-675-1990.