Remembering 'an extraordinary man'
He came from humble beginnings, but Philip J. R. Equi ascended to a high honor in the legal profession.
The retired DuPage County judge known for his patient nature died Friday at his Sugar Grove home after battling a long illness. He was 85.
"He died with all of his children around him," said his son, Jason, the youngest of six children. "Sharp as the sharpest tack in the box -- to the end."
Equi was buried Monday. The son of an Italian immigrant, he was born in Maywood. But Equi long considered DuPage County his home, where his six children were raised.
In his early 20s, he served as a scout in the Army's 103rd Infantry Division during World War II. Afterward, Equi went to college on the GI Bill and became a lawyer May 16, 1949, after graduating from DePaul University College of Law and passing the bar. The rookie lawyer worked for the Federal Trade Commission for a couple years.
Then, in 1953, he accepted a job at the Cook County state's attorneys office. Equi worked as a prosecutor for 22 years until 1975. He also ran a prominent civil practice during that time in Oak Park with the firm Equi, Farwell, Rickelman and Proteau.
Equi reached the pinnacle of his legal career in 1977, when he was named an associate DuPage judge.
"He was an honest man," said Second District Appellate Judge Robert Byrne, who served with Equi. "He was very well thought of and a good person to call if you had a legal question."
Equi served on the bench for 15 years until 1992, when he retired. That was the same year his second cousin, Rodney Equi, became a judge. He still serves today.
In retirement, Equi kept active in the Illinois State Bar Association and the DuPage County Chapter of the Justinian Society of Lawyers, in which he served as president from 1983 to 1984.
He loved to fish, fly model airplanes with his kids and take them to Chicago Bears and Chicago Cubs games. His patience, commitment to family and integrity is what his son said he'll most remember.
"Whether on the bench or sitting at the dinner table, he had this … indescribable ability to really listen before he spoke," Jason Equi said. "He really wanted to hear what you had to say. He was a fabulous teacher.
"In all facets of his life, my dad always did what he thought was right, no matter how hard it might have been. That's what made him an extraordinary man."
Judge Equi is survived by his six children; five grandchildren; two sisters; four nephews; two nieces and his former wife, Jeline. His parents and brother preceded him in death.