Harry was quite a guy. From the courtroom to the family room to the dining room, U.S.
District Court Judge taught a one-man master class in life. A man of reason, a man in full, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great-grandfather. A golfer, a raconteur, an intellectual who loved people, a teller of tall — but true — tales.
was also a giant of a jurist. Recently, he presided over major federal trials — including the and ComEd cases — but Judge Leinenweber’s gavel fell silent forever Tuesday evening after battling lung cancer. His wife, former U.
S. Labor Secretary , was at his side in their Gold Coast home, his children nearby, his beloved Burmese cats “Nigel” and “Zuzu” standing sentinel bedside. “Life smiled on us when we got him as a judge,” said U.
S. District Court Chief Judge his boss. “Quite frankly, he was perfect,” she said.
Last Monday, Judge Leinenweber called her with a request. “He was struggling to breathe, to communicate effectively, saying he had lived a good life and had nothing to complain about ..
. but that he was entering hospice and wanted to make sure his law clerks weren’t left in the lurch,” said Judge Pallmeyer. “Harry was facing death and thinking about others,” she said.
“He was an amazing man, never holding himself apart from people,” she said. “And he loved trying cases so much, he asked to help out with the caseloads of other judges,” she said. U.
S. District Court Judge Harry Leinenweber U.S.
District .
