title
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
COMMEMORATING THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE AND MEMORY OF THE HONORABLE JACK M. SIEGEL
WHEREAS, renowned municipal lawyer and trusted adviser to many local government and municipal Cook County leaders, Jack M. Siegel, died at 88 leaving behind a devoted family, countless friends and a community enriched for having known him; and
WHEREAS, it was Jack M. Siegel's expansive legal knowledge, creativity and hard work that provided the framework that helped to grow and strengthen many Cook County cities, villages and towns; and
WHEREAS, Jack M. Siegel spent the greater part of his adult life as a resident of Wilmette, but his roots were in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, after graduating from South Shore High School, Jack Siegel enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II; and
WHEREAS, once he returned from service, Jack Siegel earned both his master's degree and his Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago and was admitted to the bar in 1951; and
WHEREAS, Jack Siegel served as the Village Attorney of Arlington Heights for fifty-three years and in 2011 was honored by the Village of Arlington Heights for fifty years of service and, in recognition of his service, a conference room in Village Hall was named the "Siegel Room"; and
WHEREAS, Jack Siegel also served as the Village Attorney of Rolling Meadows, Evanston and Schaumburg, and worked with the cities of Riverwoods, Barrington, Bartlett, Lombard, Mount Prospect, Rosemont, and Skokie, which earned him the title of the "dean of Illinois municipal law"; and
WHEREAS, Jack Siegel's legal career spanned over sixty years, and included being Of Counsel to Holland & Knight LLP, Altheimer & Gray, Burke, Bosselman & Weaver, and partner at Ross & Hardies. He had extensive trial and appellate experience in the Circuit Courts of Cook, Lake, DuPage and Will County, in the First, Second and Third Appellate Districts, the Illinois Supreme Court, the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. He had the distinction of arguing two cases all the way to the United States Supreme Court; and
WHEREAS, Jack Siegel's legacy includes one of the most significant public policy features of local government in Illinois, Home Rule. He served on the committee to create the concept of home rule in the 1960's which paved the way for its inclusion at the Illinois Constitutional Convention of 1970; and
WHEREAS, as the village attorney of Schaumburg since its incorporation, Jack Siegel is credited with drafting the legal zoning, the master planning and tireless promotion that resulted in the remarkable transformation of that once small community into one of the largest commercial centers in the county and state. He played a major role in the planning that made that economic growth possible; the plan reserved large tracts of land for industrial, commercial, and office development and is now a city that contains the world headquarters of Motorola Solutions, one of only two IKEA stores in Illinois, and Woodfield Mall, the nation's 11th largest mall. Jack Siegel's foresight took a rural community and transformed it into a village that is now a major area employer and the State's second largest retail center; and
WHEREAS, Jack Siegel was the beloved husband of Jeanne Siegel, father of Phillip Siegel and Julie Halpern, grandfather of William, Glenna, and Chloe Siegel, and brother of Shirley Rustin; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Commissioners of Cook County, on behalf of the 5.2 million residents of Cook County who he served dutifully, commemorates the extraordinary life of Jack Siegel, and herewith expresses its sincere gratitude for the invaluable and innumerable contributions he has made to the Citizens of Cook County, Illinois; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be spread upon the official proceedings of this Honorable Body and that an official copy of the same be tendered to the family of Jack Siegel.end