Hon. Walter P. “Jerry” Dahl (Retired)
Of Arlington Heights

Honorable Walter P. “Jerry” Dahl was born September 13, 1922 in Chicago to Henry H. and Marie A. (nee Preston) Dahl. He was raised on the North Side of Chicago. He moved to Arlington Heights in 1954 and stayed in the area for the rest of his life and
resided at the Moorings where he died Monday, March 24, 2008.

Prior to college Judge Dahl attended St. Angela’s Grammar School and St. Mel High School where he was an outstanding student. Before enlisting in the Marine Corps he was employed with Western Electric Co. During WW II he participated in battles for Guadalcanal and Tarawa. Walter attended officer’s training school during the War at Southwest Louisiana State and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Following the war he attended Northwestern University Law School on the G.I. Bill and graduated among the top students in his class in 1948. From 1948 -1963 he was engaged in the private practice of law, for most of those years with the firm of D’Angelo, DahI & Geocaris. In 1962 he was elected a judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County (then known as the Superior Court); at that time he was the youngest judge ever elected to that position. His judicial assignments include, Criminal Court: 1962-66, Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Court from 1966-69, Chancery Division from 1969-1976 and Presiding Judge of the Probate Division from 1976 until he retired from the bench in 1983. He was one of two judges who were appointed to the Judicial inquiry Board when it was formed and was responsible for promoting significant improvements in both the substantive and procedural laws governing probate matters. He consistently received among the highest majority votes of the judicial candidates when he stood for re-election and was universally regarded as a judge of integrity, intelligence and common sense.

After retiring from the bench he returned to the private practice of law with his son’s law firm, Dahl & Bonadies and remained active in the practice through the rnid-1990’s. He was an avid golfer, fisherman, hunter and card player

His survivors include his children James E. (Mariangela) Dahl and Janet E. (Louis R.) Schroeder; his grandchildren, Patrick (April M.), Ryan, and Caitlin Dahl, and Matthew Schroeder; and his great granddaughter Shea Alexandra Dahl. James Dahl, Louis Schroeder, Patrick Dahl and Ryan Dahl are all attorneys in Chicago. Caitlin Dahl will be enrolling in law school this year.

Walter is preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Mary E. Dahl (nee O’Hara), his parents, his brother John P. Dahl and his sister Lorraine Rycerz.

Visitation from 3:00 until 9:00 PM, Wednesday, March 26, 2008 at the Glueckert Funeral Home, Ltd., 1520 N. Arlington Heights Rd., (4 blocks south of Palatine Rd.) Arlington Heights. Prayers 9:15 AM, Thursday, March 27, 2008 at the Glueckert Funeral Home, Ltd., to St. James Church, 831 N. Arlington Heights Rd., Arlington Heights for Mass at 10:00 AM. Interment private.