Lilly, James Joseph 43, of The LaGrange Highlands. Beloved husband of Nora Cahue; loving father of James, Jr., Christian and Michael; devoted son of James and Elizabeth Lilly; dear brother of Antonio (Stephanie), Thomas (Cheryl), the late Danny and the late James; fond uncle of many; dear son-in-law of Carmen Cahue. Visitation 3 to 9pm Friday, December 28 at Hallowell & James Funeral Home, 1025 W. 55th St., Countryside. Prayers 9:30am Saturday, December 29 at the funeral home to St. Cletus Catholic Church for Mass at l0am. Interment Queen of Heaven Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the trust fund to be set up for James' children are appreciated. Jim was an accomplished world-class wheelchair athlete, representing the United States in several Olympic games. He was a public speaker, working with inner-city school kids to help them stay on the right track by sharing his story. He was paralyzed at the age of 15 by gun shot wounds he suffered. After competing in countless races, he won the world's longest wheelchair race, covering 276 miles of dramatic terrain from Fairbanks to Anchorage, Alaska. James is the only person in the world to complete the race 9 times. Funeral home phone: 708-352-6500
Published in Chicago Sun-Times on December 26, 2012
