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William Weeks Obituary
William Walter Weeks passed away suddenly on June 29, 2020. "Bill" was a lifelong resident of Chicago and preceded in death by his father, Walter H Weeks and mother, Louise J Weeks (Devlin). Beloved brother of Victoria C Weeks of Savannah, Georgia, Ronald B Weeks of Des Plaines, Illinois and Patricia A Weeks-Stork of Frankfort, Illinois. Fond uncle of Nicole, Brian and Matthew Weeks. Great-uncle to six. Dear friend and colleague to countless others. Bill received a Bachelor's degree from Illinois State University and Master's degree from Florida State University. He worked in the Chicago Public School system for 25 years, as a teacher, dean of students, and always an educator. He was instrumental in establishing Service Learning Programs and created monthly environmental service learning treks for his students to area wetlands and historic neighborhoods "Mr. Weeks" was much loved by students and respected by colleagues. Throughout his life, Bill was a passionate activist for the LGBTQ community. He was a past Director of Horizons Youth Services, and facilitated LGBTQ programs and plans for the Illinois Chapter of the ACLU. Besides his service on the board of the Chicago chapter of the Gay Alliance Against Defamation, he served for ten years as the Political Liaison in Chicago with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), For six of those years, Bill served on HRC's National Board of Governors. Following his service at HRC, Bill served on the board of The Civil Rights Agenda.
He gave generously of his time for the rights of all, and not only talked the talk, but literally walked the walk. His life was about service to others. Bill was dedicated to advancing equality for the LGBTQ+ community and lobbied tirelessly to local, state and national representatives to advance the call for equality. He advocated for the marriage initiative in Illinois, the repeal of DADT and for countless hate crimes and employment protections legislation. Bill volunteered his time to support numerous
political campaigns, including both of President Obama's elections, Hilary Clinton, Jan Schakowsky, and Tammy
Duckworth. A world traveler, he never let a school break or summer vacation go by without exploring somewhere new. He had a National Parks "Passport" with a goal of visiting them all.
He was wicked smart, empathetic, big-hearted, and had a wonderful sense of humor. Bill appreciated and accepted everyone he encountered for who they were, never passing judgement and making everyone he met feel valued. A considerate, unselfish, loving man, he truly was one of a kind.
A celebration of his life will be held at a future date. Donations in his memory can be made to:
The Field Museum
1400 S Lake Shore Dr.
Chicago IL 60605
Fieldmuseum.org
Human Rights Campaign
1640 Rhode Island Ave. N.W.
Washington D.C. 20036
hrcchicago.org
Mikva Challenge
200 S Michigan Ave
Chicago IL 606004
mikvachallenge.org
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Memories and Condolences
for William Weeks
Sponsored by Chicago Sun-Times.
Teresa
July 7, 2025
What would you make of the political situation of today, Bill? Sometimes I think it is a blessing you didn't see the complete fall of the system. Pull strings for us if you can!
Deb and Luke
July 6, 2025
Bill was our dear friend. We miss him everyday.
Luke Hanley & Debran Rowland
July 17, 2020
Bill was an amazing man whose departure has left Chicago and the world a poorer place. He was dedicated to so many causes and worked behind the scenes to fight for great candidates and important changes. He laid the groundwork in Illinois for some of the advances that the LGTBQ community has gained in recent years. And he was a great friend who always had a kind word or a wry remark. We will miss him terribly. Please announce if there is any memorial event that we can attend to honor him as he so deserves.
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Debra DeFiglia
July 15, 2020
Bill was a friend. He had a dry sense of humor and I could ALWAYS count of him to make me smile. CPS and the world will miss him.
Rose Caldwell
July 13, 2020
My condolences to Bill's family and friends. Bill had the gift of laughter. We worked together for several years, and we laughed through many difficult situations. He was also an avid reader. I will remember him every time I pick up one of the books he gave me.
Rufus Shawrelle
July 13, 2020
Inviting & spontaneous is what Bill can be to a complete stranger.
Donation: American Red Cross
Teresa Mueller
July 10, 2020
Of course Bill had a pensive side, but more often I think of him bursting like a firecracker into laughter, his arms flying out to give you a hug to counteract (or perhaps teasingly emphasize!) whatever wild remark he just made. From dark irony to glee: such a range of qualities and opinions and stories, all packed into one wonderful person.
My memories of Bill go back to high school days; White Castle outings (yikes!), Bill charming any and all resident moms at parties, his enlarging and interweaving stories, listening with a lot of heart, holding his own hurts gently. I'm not ready to say goodbye. But I send out my admiration and thanks for your friendship to wherever you may be, Bill.
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