A once-feared criminal defense attorney and then a Cook County judge who was also an artillery officer with the Tuskegee Airmen died Sunday at age 90.
A once-feared criminal defense attorney and then a Cook County judge who was also an artillery officer with the Tuskegee Airmen died Sunday at age 90. Those who knew Earl Strayhorn said he was more than just a judge who served 28 years on the bench. “He was a good man. He cared about everyone, especially the disadvantaged,” said Nora Dean, 87, who attended high school with Strayhorn. “I always knew he would amount to something great, and he did just that while sitting on the bench and behind the table as a lawyer.” Strayhorn died at Mercy Hospital on the South Side. The cause of death was not immediately known. His professional background includes working as an associate with the law firm of Gensen & Gillespie, where Ed Gensen is co-owner. Gensen previously represented former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and singer R. Kelly. As a defense attorney, Strayhorn once defended a man accused of arson and inciting riots after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He retired from the bench in 1998 but was making critical decisions as a former Tuskegee Airman during World War II––long before he became a lawyer or judge. A native of Columbus, Miss., he grew up on the city’s South Side and graduated from Tilden High School in 1936. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in 1941 and his Juris Doctorate from DePaul University Law School in 1948. His wife Lygia and children, Donald and Earlene, survived Strayhorn. Strayhorn is survived by his wife, Lygia; daughter, Earlene; and son, Donald. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. Friday, followed by funeral services at 11:15 a.m., at Sixth Grace Presbyterian Church, 600 E. 35th St. ______ Copyright 2009 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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