Paul Wisner

About Paul

Paul Joseph Wisner passed away peacefully on November 17th, 2025. Paul was born on March 28th, 1937 to Joseph and Rosalie Wisniewski (Stall), on the southeast side of Chicago. Paul attended Catholic schools and served as an altar boy and sang in the choir. Some of his fondest memories were of playing baseball with the Sun Dodgers, an amateur team, twice winning the state championship. He also spoke often of working summers at U.S. Steel which helped prepare him for the rough-and-tumble life of Chicago politics, something that would dominate his life for many years.

After graduating from the University of Chicago Law School and being an idiosyncratic loner, he "put out his shingle” as a sole practitioner, bought himself an electric typewriter, and began practicing law in South Chicago. But politics soon beckoned, and he decided at the age of 29 to run for the state senate in 1966 as a Republican in Mayor Richard J. Daley’s Chicago. Surprisingly, he almost won, losing by only 180 votes out of 60,000 cast. Undiscouraged, in 1968, he ran again countywide for Clerk of the Appellate Court, declaring that, if elected, he would eliminate the office, thus eliciting praise from fellow iconoclast, Mike Royko.

While not elected, Paul was immediately chosen by newly elected governor, Richard Ogilvie, to run the Illinois Department of Human Resources. During that four-year stint, he had an opportunity to become acquainted with different areas of Illinois, especially East St. Louis and Cairo, which opened his eyes to the poverty and lack of opportunities existing outside of Chicago. He used the Department to attempt to remedy some of those problems.

Governor Ogilvie was defeated after one term, and Paul returned to the practice of law and spending more time with his growing family. Although he maintained his interest in local politics, supporting various candidates and sharing his expertise in election law, he decided to move his law practice to Chicago’s Loop in order to expand his opportunities and have more convenient access to the courts as he grew his practice and developed as a litigator in the area of fire loss for the next 22 years.

In his personal life, Paul was a devoted family man. He attended band concerts and cross country meets, hosted baseball, badminton games, and picnics in his backyard in Lake Forest, and spent hours out on the hammock with grandchildren and their pets. He loved the role of grandfather, and took great pride in his family, who loved him dearly. One grandchild, when asked at a geography fair to describe her favorite place in the world, said that it was at her grandparents’ house because when she visited, it was always filled with family, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Paul was a big cheerleader for his grandchildren, always celebrating their achievements while encouraging them to pursue their full potential. He wanted nothing but the best for his family.

In his spare time, Paul travelled with his wife to Europe, Asia, and Mexico on educational tours sponsored by Interhostel in order to expand his knowledge of the history and culture of other nations. When he wasn't travelling, he read voraciously from his vast collection of books, which consisted primarily of politics, political theory, political history, political economics, political philosophy, and political biographies. And, yes, he also read novels — massive 19th-century tomes that he read into the wee hours of the morning. He loved theater, abstract art, and the Chicago Symphony. As a young man, he would ditch his Friday afternoon law classes so that he could attend the Friday matinees at Symphony Center, thus causing him to be threatened with a failing grade. Never one to concede to threats, he continued to enjoy his Friday afternoons in the presence of Beethoven, Brahms, and Berlioz and managed to graduate from the University of Chicago Law School.

Paul is survived by his wife, Carole J Wisner (Guinta); his sister, Judith Pollak (Wisner); his children, Jeanne Wisner (Terry Bohman), David Wisner (Kathy Evans), Sarah Wisner (Riley Kane); and Peter Wisner (Nam Mee Cho); as well as his cherished grandchildren: Frances Kane, Emily Wisner, Benjamin Kane, Luke Wisner, Paul Wisner, and Abraham Wisner.

A memorial service to honor Paul’s life will be held at Wenban Funeral Home in Lake Forest, Illinois on December 28, 2025 from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. to be followed by a brief celebration of life.

memorial service

Memorial Service

December 28, 2025

Wenban Funeral Home Ltd 320 Vine Ave, Lake Forest, IL 60045, USA

We welcome all family and friends to join us in celebrating the long, full life Paul lived with purpose and passion.