Harrison H. "Sonny" Kavensky, 86 of Boca Raton, FL and a native of Rock Island, IL passed away on Monday, July 21, 2014. Services will be held at Congregation Beth Israel at the Tri City Jewish Center on Wednesday, July 23 at 11 a.m. followed by a meal of condolence. Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Harrison was born July 16, 1928 to Shirley (Cohn) and Archie Kavensky. He graduated from Rock Island Senior High School before earning his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Illinois in 1950. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Illinois in 1952 and that same year was admitted to the bar in Illinois and the U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois.

Following law school Harrison served in the United States Air Force as a Judge Advocate General (J.A.G.) Officer from 1952-1955 in Korea. As a J.A.G. officer during the Korean War, he defended members of our military accused of crimes, including those charged with murder. It was here that he developed the trial skills which helped him become a leading trial lawyer in the state of Illinois.

Upon returning home from the Korean War, Harrison married his college sweetheart, Louise Rosengard on December 11, 1955. Shortly thereafter, he joined the law firm of Schoede & Schoede in Rock Island. In 1960, he joined Stewart Winstein and together they formed the law firm of Winstein and Kavensky which is known today as Winstein, Kavensky & Cunningham.

His professional career spanned more than five decades of providing quality legal representation. While he was initially involved in the general practice of law, he later concentrated his practice solely in the areas of personal injury and workers compensation. Harrison had the ability to work tirelessly on behalf of his clients. He approached his small cases with equal fervor as his large cases because he understood, all too well, that every case was of significant importance to his clients.

Harrison, a strong advocate for working people and their families, was a lifetime honorary member of the United Auto Workers. He exhibited great compassion for the less fortunate and felt that fighting for his clients' interests -- fairly and thoroughly -- was of the utmost importance. His peers considered him to be one of the top trial lawyers and he was one of the first attorneys in Rock Island County to receive an award in excess of a million dollars following trial. At age 80, he delivered his final closing argument to a jury who rendered a verdict in his favor for significant value.

He was a member of the Rock Island County Bar Association, serving on its Board of Governors from1965 to 1971. As a member of the Illinois Trial Lawyer's Association, Harrison served on its Negligence Committee from 1982-1984 and the Workers Compensation Committee from 1996-1998. In 2002, the Illinois State Bar Association named him a Senior Counselor for his 50 years of honorable service to his profession. The Association of Trial Lawyers of America, of which he was a member, honored him for his extraordinary dedication to the civil justice system in 1997 and granted him sustaining membership in 2009. He was also a member of the American Bar Association and the Illinois Workers Compensation Lawyers Association.

Harrison served on the boards of the Tri City Jewish Center and Crow Valley Golf Club. He was known for his quick wit, wonderful sense of humor and caring attitude. He related well to people from all walks of life and was a loyal friend to all who affectionately knew him as Sonny. Nothing caused him more aggravation or occasional joy than the White Sox and the Bears. He enjoyed golf immensely, despite having a golf swing that even Butch Harmon couldn't fix. As a loving husband, father and grandfather he instilled in his family the importance of a strong work ethic, respect for others, honesty and integrity.

Harrison loved his work and he loved his family. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Louise of Boca Raton, FL; sister Toby Stone of Dallas, TX; son, Craig (Jodie) of Rock Island; and daughter, Wendy (Michael) McCollom of Orinda, CA. His legacy will live on in his three granddaughters, Elisse Kavensky of Chicago, IL; Mia Rose Kavensky of Champaign, IL; and Tamar McCollom of Chicago, IL. He is also survived by his niece, Julie Stone and nephew, Dr. Scott Stone, both of Dallas.

Online remembrances may be expressed at www.wheelanpressly.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials in his name can be made to the NormaLeah Ovarian Cancer Foundation or the Tri City Jewish Center.