Peter Tomaras Obituary

In his 59 years, Peter A. Tomaras achieved that rare balance of high professional achievement in a fiercely competitive field and widespread affection in his community. He demonstrated leadership through service, friends said, by using a powerful intellect, sincere empathy for others and a deep commitment to his family. A resident of Glen Ellyn, Mr. Tomaras died December 28, 2011 in his home after a six-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Born in 1952 in Oak Park, Mr. Tomaras earned a bachelor's degree in biology and chemistry from Elmhurst College in 1975. After receiving his law degree from John Marshall Law School, he went to work for the firm of Wildman, Harrold, Allen& Dixon, now known as Edwards Wildman, in Chicago. He spent his entire career there, working most recently as a partner in the firm's litigation department and serving on the firm's executive committee. Dealing primarily with product liability defense, Mr. Tomaras specialized in high-scale, class action litigation and individual lawsuits in the areas of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and chemicals. He worked on complicated cases in courtrooms across the country. "As an attorney, Peter was extremely, deceptively bright and clever, in the most positive sense," said Edwards Wildman's deputy managing partner, Bob Shuftan, who occupied the office next to Mr. Tomaras for 20 years. "He'd try to pass himself off as a local guy" who wasn't very sophisticated, Shuftan added. But his powerful intellect shone through that modest exterior, Shuftan said. Mr. Tomaras regularly displayed a "thorough understanding of science and fully appreciated the chemistry and the mechanics of his clients' products, and used that thorough knowledge to present very straightforward and very strong defenses of his clients' perspective". "Peter was a fanatic when it came to details," Shuftan said. "He was organized, clear-thinking, had tremendous follow-through and a level of impatience. And, he was relentless." As skilled as an attorney as he was, Mr. Tomaras was a better person, Shuftan said. While carrying a heavy workload, he also was the firm's entertainment coordinator, organizing dozens of events over the years with his wife of 37 years, Zoe Ann. It was a role he thoroughly enjoyed, Shuftan said, and one that endeared the couple to everyone at the law firm. "Everybody at our firm - from the partners, to the associates, to the staff, to the administrators - would routinely come by Peter's office to seek his advice, to seek his counsel, to joke with him, just to talk," Shuftan said. "Having an office next to him was like watching people line up to take numbers at a delicatessen, and you just don't see that too often." He said Mr. Tomaras' ability to connect with people was "a lost art in a busy world." Mr. Tomaras was likewise beloved and respected in Glen Ellyn, where he and his family had lived since the early 1980s, and in the western suburbs. Over the years, Mr. Tomaras served as president of Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church parish council, president of the Glen Ellyn Library Board and president of the Raintree Homeowners Association. He was a board member of the Ray Graham Association and The Institute of Human Development, organizations serving the needs of individuals with disabilities. In addition, he was heavily involved in coaching his children and thousands of other young people in various sports - particularly his fervent passion, baseball- for three decades in Glen Ellyn. Longtime friend and neighbor Jim Meyers said Mr. Tomaras "was a very talented individual who, once he was committed and believed in something, was like a one-man cavalry. He had an ability to listen and to figure out a way to make things right," Meyers added. "If Peter had a dollar an hour for all his pro-bono and volunteer time," Meyers said, "he would have been a very rich individual." Mr. Tomaras certainly attained a wealth of friends. More than 1,000 people attended his wake, some waiting for nearly four hours to pay their respects Shuftan said that outpouring of support "was no accident. "There are many people who felt very close to Peter," Shuftan said, "whether you knew him for 20 years or for a few months. And the reason they felt that way was because he really cared about people." Added Meyers: "We as his friends never were able to show the appreciation he deserved. We were never able to thank him the way we could have." Mr. Tomaras is survived by his wife, Zoe Ann; four children, Andrew, Cassie, Alexis and Michael; two grandchildren, Peter and Sophia; his father, Andrew P. Tomaras; and two sisters, Margo and Allison. Funeral services were held on January 3, 2012.