Warren Lupel

We are heartbroken to share that our beloved Warren “Sonny” Lupel passed away peacefully on Monday, February 9, surrounded by family at Northwestern Hospital. A devoted husband, brother, father, grandfather, uncle, mentor, and friend, he will be missed by many.

Warren lived his whole life in the Chicagoland area. He was born in Chicago on May 24, 1942 to Frank Lupel, a Democratic precinct captain and circuit court clerk, who immigrated to the United States from Romania, and Jeanne (Maltz) Lupel, a secretary and administrative assistant, whose parents had immigrated from Uman, Ukraine. Warren grew up speaking Yiddish with his maternal grandmother, and throughout his life he would occasionally punctuate his speech with a few choice Yiddish phrases.

Warren and his older sister Naomi grew up on the hardscrabble West Side of Chicago before the family moved to the North Side when he was 12. Naomi and he both attended Sullivan High School and later graduated from Roosevelt University. Before attending Roosevelt, he spent a brief time attending classes at the University of Illinois at Navy Pier where in Biology class he met the love of his life, the future Sally Lupel, née Greenberg. “She was by far the prettiest girl at the Pier,” he wrote. Together they raised their two children, Alison and Adam, in an old Victorian house in Evanston that was a gathering place for friends and family for decades. Last August, Warren and Sally celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary.

Warren’s working life was long and legendary. He relished telling stories of how he began work as a paper boy and never stopped until his retirement well into his 70s. Some of the jobs he held before he began his illustrious legal career included, working the refreshment stand at the Lincoln Park Zoo, selling socks at the Maxwell Street Market, driving both a taxi cab and a mail truck, and doing social work at the Robert Taylor Homes right out of college.

By his own account, Warren was not a good student in high school or college. Yet, he graduated from John Marshall Law School in February 1968 as President of his Class with top honors, and he almost immediately began making his mark in the legal community. Upon passing the Bar, he was hired as an Associate at Block and Solomon. One of his first cases was working for the Chicago Riot Study Committee established by Mayor Richard J. Daley to investigate the riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. The briefing Warren wrote on the Fire Department’s response to the riots was included as part of the historic final Commission Report.

He argued his first case before the Illinois Supreme Court on March 24, 1970, less than two years after receiving his law license, an extraordinary accomplishment. He would go on to argue before the Illinois Supreme Court at least 10 more times over the course of his career. He would also argue a half dozen cases before the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, one step below the US Supreme Court.

Most famously, although he was a civil litigator, Warren represented Gary Dotson in a pro bono criminal case that became national and international news. Dotson had been incarcerated since 1979 for rape. In 1985 his accuser dramatically recanted her testimony, admitting the assault had never taken place. For a time that year, Warren was on the Chicago news with regularity and fielded interview requests from as far as Japan and Australia. Warren’s time with Dotson culminated in a televised hearing before Illinois Governor Jim Thompson, who commuted Dotson’s sentence to time served. Seeking to prove Dotson’s innocence, Warren had been the first Illinois lawyer to introduce DNA evidence, but it was dismissed as a “primitive science.” By 1989, the technology had advanced, and Gary Dotson became the nation’s first DNA exoneration.

Throughout his career, Warren was dedicated to giving back and continuing to learn. He maintained a robust pro bono practice. He went to night school to get his MA in Urban Studies. He taught. He had a brief stint as a stage actor. In 1997 he took time off to travel to India to work with street children in Delhi. Between 1993-2013 he was the chair of the Illinois Judicial Ethics Committee. From 2002 to 2004 he was the President of the Illinois Bar Foundation, spearheading the growth of a fund to provide financial aid to members of the Illinois Bar in times of crisis. In recognition of his service, the fund was named the Warren Lupel Lawyers Care Fund.

Alongside former Governor Thompson, Warren was an Inaugural Recipient of the Academy of Illinois Lawyers Laureate Award recognizing those who represent the highest values of the legal profession.

Not one to slow down, Warren continued his commitment to service after retirement. For over 10 years he volunteered at the Chicago Lighthouse, a world-renowned social service agency for the blind and visually impaired. He was also a devoted advocate for Meals on Wheels, delivering nutritious meals to the homes of those unable to meet their own needs. He began as a regular volunteer going door to door, and later became a Board Member and ultimately Board President.

Beyond all of his professional accomplishments and devoted service, Warren will be most remembered for his extraordinary warmth and personal generosity. His laughter was contagious. His eyes shined. His embrace empowered. He made lasting friends wherever he went, from the barbershop or favorite restaurants to trips abroad, and he was a father figure to many beyond his immediate family. He had an extraordinary relationship with dogs. He was often spotted jogging with them along the lake in Evanston. He loved dogs, but more than that, dogs loved Warren—all dogs.

However, Warren’s greatest love, by his own telling, was being a parent and spending time at home or on trips with his children and grandchildren. He was a constant presence at every school sporting event or performance, and he was the first to cheer on the most minor accomplishment. His love was abundant, and his pride had the power to motivate beyond measure.

Warren is survived by his wife Sally; children, Alison (Craig) and Adam (Renata); grandchildren, Liliana, Frank, and Miranda; nieces and nephews, Lyle (Dana), Sean (Shelly), Janeen (David), Mark (Lisa), Steve, and Felissa; grand nieces and nephews, Leonard, Katie, Julia, Maddy, Eric, Jonathan, Blake, Devyn, Laine, Calla, Max, and Ivy; and countless friends, including some who became like family, none more than Doug and “Uncle” Joel. The family lost his dear sister Naomi Lupel Berkowitz in 2022.

A memorial service and celebration of Warren’s life will be held at 2:00PM on Sunday, February 22, 2026 at Weinstein and Piser Funeral Home, 111 Skokie Blvd, Wilmette. The service will be streamed live.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Chicago Lighthouse, https://chicagolighthouse.org/; Meals on Wheels, https://mealsonwheelsnei.org/; or Warren Lupel Lawyers Care, https://illinoisbarfoundation.org/programs/warren-lupel-lawyers-care-fund/

May his memory be for a blessing always.