Robert G. Weclew, 89, a longtime Chicago legal authority and champion of civil rights, died Monday, Sept. 10, of a heart attack in the University of Wisconsin Medical Center in Madison, Wis. Until this summer when he moved to Madison, Mr. Weclew had lived on Chicago's Northwest Side. He grew up and attended schools in the Chicago area. In 1935, he received a Northwestern University law degree, which he used to pursue social justice. "He wasn't a conservative money lawyer," said his son, Robert Jr. "He was always a champion of the underdog ... His whole life was about teaching tolerance and racial harmony and championing civil rights." Mr. Weclew was a former dean of DePaul University Law School, where he also taught. "He had a passion for teaching, especially constitutional law and civil liberties," said his son. Mr. Weclew served in World War II as a special agent in the Army Intelligence Corps. Other survivors include his wife, Jean; a stepdaughter, Harlene Villio; a sister, Adelaide Kumbera; a brother, Victor; and four grandchildren. Mass will be said at 9 a.m. Saturday in Queen of All Saints Basilica, 6280 N. Sauganash Ave., Chicago.
Chicago Tribune, Sep 15, 2001, pg. 20
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