Obituaries

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Updated: November 9, 2011 1:59PM

Allan Lerner

1947-2011

Allan Lerner, 63, of River Forest, who retired last spring as associate provost for international affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago, died Sept. 4 after a long illness.

Mr. Lerner was also a professor of public administration and political science. He was to be named professor emeritus pending approval at the September meeting of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.

He served UIC in many administrative positions after joining the university’s political science department in 1977. Most recently, as executive director of the Office of International Affairs, he led international collaborations in research, education and public service. He formed initiatives and agreements with more than 80 universities, government entities, foundations and business and civic organizations in more than 40 countries.

Previously, Mr. Lerner was deputy associate chancellor, associate provost for external education and associate dean of the Graduate College.

He served as interim dean of the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs during the college’s first two years, from 1994 to 1996. He established the structure of the college, negotiated the incorporation of the Survey Research Laboratory, and founded external education projects, said Michael Pagano, current dean of the college.

“He was instrumental in establishing several key elements of our college that stand today. The Public Administration Department’s Ph.D. program was implemented because of the 10-year effort led by Allan and his colleagues,” Pagano said.

“Allan was indeed a generous and gentle man who put the purpose and work of the people above self-interest and a scholar whose wisdom and insight will be deeply missed. We will miss his support and kindness, his teaching and services to public administration students and especially the advice and interaction he so generously gave to his Ph.D. students.”

Mr. Lerner received his Ph.D. and master’s degrees from the University of Oregon. He earned his bachelor of arts degree at Brooklyn College.

He is survived by his wife, Laura, of River Forest, son Ben, daughter Rachel and two grandchildren.

Donations were suggested for Chabad of Oak Park or Morton Arboretum.

Dr. Carlisle Weese

Dr. Carlisle Weese, a 44-year resident of Oak Park, died peacefully July 29 in his home.

Dr. Weese was a 1942 graduate of Northwestern University Dental School, Evanston. He practiced dentistry first in Chicago, then in the Forsythe Building in Oak Park from 1964 until his retirement in 2003. In practicing dentistry, he felt privileged to take care of fourth and fifth generations of patients, as well as some patients who came regularly from Alaska and Sweden.

He was an officer in the United States Navy Dental Corps during World War II retiring as a Lieutenant Commander. His first post was in Farragut, Idaho, where the Commanding Officer insisted that all dentists go through Boot Camp as he felt they should all be physically fit and able to protect themselves if faced with combat duty. He was later stationed in Okinawa, Japan, to help set up the Navy’s first dental clinic there.

Dr. Weese was a Life Member of the American Dental Association, Illinois State Dental Society and the Chicago Dental Society. He held all of the offices of the West Side Branch of the CDS including president and director. He was a Fellow in the American College and International College of Dentists, Odontographic Society, Pierre Fouchard and a Life Member of Alpha Omega International Dental Society. He was also past president of Oak Park Temple.

Dr. Weese is survived by his wife of 68 years, Florence, nee Kales, Weese; sons, Dr. William and Dr. James (Barbara) and daughter, Dr. Debra Weese-Mayer (Dr. Robert Mayer); and grandchildren Brooke and Scott Weese, Dr. Jennifer Mayer, Jaimie Mayer Phinney (Hap Phinney) and Jonathan Mayer.

Services were held at Oak Park Temple and interment was in Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago.

Memorials were suggested for Children’s Memorial Hospital Center for Autonomic Medicine in Pediatrics.