Tomas Milan Magdich

The Honorable Tomas M. Magdich of Dixon, Illinois, died Tuesday April 15, 2014. He was 74. He was born in Gary, Indiana, on July 2, 1939, to a bookkeeper, Ann Magdich, and a carpenter, Milan Magdich. His working class childhood was made difficult by the death of his father at the age of thirteen. He was raised by a hardworking, single mother in the 1950s and delivered papers to contribute to the family’s grocery money. Although his life was difficult, from early on he always had a passion for school and learning. Tom graduated from Lew Wallace High School in Gary, Indiana, in 1957 and then attended Ripon College. At Ripon College, he met his future spouse, Judith Lawson. He became president of his fraternity where he developed many lifelong friendships. And it was at Ripon College where he was mentored to seek a career in law after graduating with a degree in philosophy. While attending Northwestern Law School, he discovered his passion for the law and his lifelong mission to help people seek justice. During his first year he married Judith Lawson on August 11, 1962. During his last year of law school he found himself in need of employment due to the impending birth of their first child. A job opportunity with the firm Gunner and Keller is how he came to Dixon, Illinois, fifty years ago, a place that he thought would be a temporary home but grew to endear. Tom often told the story of how as a young associate he was given the cases that nobody else wanted or were expected to win. With his passion for justice, he embraced those challenges and after years of success he became a named partner on July 1, 1971. While practicing law as an attorney, he argued landmark cases, but also had time to help with even minor disputes because he held the deep belief that all people deserve representation. He knew justice was found in the big and small matters of life. He took his own dispute over parking tickets to court and prevailed when the city parking meter ordinance was found unconstitutional. On March 1st 1985 he was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court as a Circuit Court Judge of the 15th Judicial Circuit. He was elected to the full term in 1986 and was retained in 1992 and 1998. In 1992, he received a one hundred percent approval rating from the Illinois State Bar Association. He served 18 years on the bench before his retirement in December of, 2003. He loved the courtroom both as an attorney and as a judge. He was known to say that the courtroom offered the best show in town. In addition to being dedicated to the law and his career, Tom was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He loved always learning new things and travelling. He and Judy instilled those interests in their children and grandchildren. Always being a student of life, made him an excellent teacher to his children to his colleagues and eventually to university students at Northern Illinois Law School. The family could often find Tom around the house gardening and woodworking like his father. In the community he was known for being an entertaining public speaker and humorist. Tom is remembered for his quick wit, sincere compassion, his unique perspective on life, his storytelling, and his love of his family. He is survived by his wife, Judith Lawson, his children Amy Jo (Alan) Clemens of Dixon, Michael (Karen) Magdich of Dexter, Michigan, Marjorie (Ken) Erdmann of Tulsa, Oklahoma, seven grandchildren Emily, Thomas, Nicholas, Mary, Henry, Maxwell, and Alexandra, and his brother Dennis Magdich of Chicago, Illinois. Memorial services for The Honorable Tomas M. Magdich will be held on Saturday April 19, 2004, at 10:30 AM in the First Presbyterian Church in Dixon with the Rev. David Spaulding officiating. Burial of cremains will be at a later date in Oakwood Cemetery in Dixon. Visitation will be on Friday April 18, 2014 from 2:00 to 7:00 PM in the Jones Funeral Home. A memorial has been established to Prairie State Legal Services.

Tomas Milan Magdich

July 2, 1939 - April 15, 2014