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92_SR0315 LRB9215608BHbh 1 SENATE RESOLUTION 2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to 3 express their sincere condolences to the family and friends 4 of John Anton Drost of Arlington Heights, who recently passed 5 away; and 6 WHEREAS, Mr. Drost was born April 9, 1909 in Brno, Czech 7 Republic; he graduated from the Masaryk University Law 8 Facility in 1932 and served in the Czechoslovakian Army as a 9 Lieutenant Judge in the Judge Advocate General's Department; 10 he also served in the 1938 mobilization of the Czech Army; 11 and 12 WHEREAS, Mr. Drost was a partner in the law firm of Dr. 13 Alois Prazak, a member of the Czech government in exile in 14 London; his legal work involved representing Jewish clients 15 and their interests; this work caused him to be arrested and 16 jailed, and when ordered to report to a labor camp in late 17 1944, he eluded Gestapo agents and went underground until the 18 war was over; and 19 WHEREAS, Mr. Drost returned to his law practice after the 20 war and was pursued by the Communists after the 1948 coup 21 d'etat because of his involvement with Dr. Prazak and the 22 firm's support of capitalist clients; again, Mr. Drost 23 escaped, this time to Austria, and worked for the Church 24 World Organization to help place refugees in Western 25 countries; and 26 WHEREAS, Mr. Drost reunited with his wife, Doris Matela, 27 whom he had married in 1940, and they immigrated to the 28 United States; Mr. Drost worked as a church administrator at 29 St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Chicago, and at the 30 urging of various church members, attended night classes at 31 John Marshall Law School of Chicago and graduated in 1961; 32 and -2- LRB9215608BHbh 1 WHEREAS, Mr. Drost began a law partnership with Alan 2 Schmidt and concentrated on estate law, including 3 international probate law; he became the attorney for the 4 Austrian Consulate General in Chicago and also did work for 5 the German Consulate General in Chicago; in 1974, the 6 Austrian government awarded Mr. Drost the Golden Badge of 7 Honor; and 8 WHEREAS, Mr. Drost, in addition to his legal work, served 9 on several boards, being most active with Uhlich Children's 10 Home, where he served as president and was a Life Trustee; 11 beginning in 1993, Mr. Drost participated and helped sponsor 12 a continuing Legal Education Exchange Program with John 13 Marshall Law School and Masaryk University; and 14 WHEREAS, Mr. Drost will be remembered by his family and 15 friends, especially his wife, Doris; his sons, Rudy (Lynn) 16 and George (Beth); his grandchildren, James (Robin) Drost, 17 Carolyn (Robert) Burk, Julie (William) Drost-Hibler, Michael 18 (Kaitrin) Drost and Charles Drost; and his four 19 great-grandchildren; therefore, be it 20 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL 21 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with 22 all those who knew him, the death of John Anton Drost of 23 Arlington Heights; and be it further 24 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be sent 25 to the family of John Anton Drost.