Joseph N. DuCanto, 85, of River Forest, died on Feb. 8, 2013 at Rush University Medical Center. Born in 1927, his early years were spent in an orphanage and foster homes near Utica, N.Y. At the age of 16, he enlisted in the Marines and fought on Iwo Jima during World War II. According to the obituary in the Chicago Sun-Times on Feb. 14, he joked that his shortness (he was 5-4) made him a smaller target.
After the war, he graduated from Antioch College in Ohio and attended the University of Chicago Law School on a full scholarship. He was one of the founding members of the family law firm Schiller, DuCanto and Fleck, and practiced matrimonial law for a half century. He was former president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and was active in establishing scholarships for the children of former Marines.
He also started a private security firm, Securatex.
Mr. DuCanto is survived by his wife, Patricia; his sons, Anthony and James DuCanto and Bill Heiman; and four grandchildren.
A memorial service is scheduled for 1 p.m., Feb. 21 at First Unitarian Church, 5650 S. Woodlawn.
