Syl's Owner Don 'Duke' Williams Dies, Restaurant Closed Sunday

ROCKDALE, IL — Don "Duke" Williams, a well-known figure in the Joliet area restaurant community and the owner of Syl's Restaurant & Lounge in Rockdale since 2019, died unexpectedly Wednesday afternoon in the emergency room at St. Joe's hospital in Joliet.

"To all our Syl’s Friends, it is with great sorrow we inform you our fearless leader Duke has passed away," Syl's announced on its Facebook page. "Don loved servicing each one of you and the Joliet community. Please keep all our staff and our Syl’s family in your prayers ..."

Syl's asked everyone to "please keep Abby, Maggie and Maura in your prayers."

Rockdale Police Chief Robert Dykstra told Joliet Patch that he was one of three police officers to respond to Syl's on Wednesday afternoon after 911 dispatchers were notified of someone in the restaurant who was unconscious but still breathing. However, within 30 seconds of the 911 call, dispatchers learned the unconscious person had stopped breathing.

Dykstra said he and other emergency personnel used an AED —which is an automated external defibrillator — trying to revive Williams as the East Joliet Fire Department ambulance crew was en route.

"He was having a heart attack," Dykstra said. "Three officers, including myself, were there within a couple minutes. We had the AED on him right away.

"He clearly was having a heart attack in our view."

The ambulance rushed Williams to St. Joe's, and that's where he died.

Dykstra said Williams "was a nice guy, a good person and a good business person for our community. Definitely very shocking to us, just all my thoughts are with his family."

Located at 829 Moen Ave., on the outskirts of Joliet, Syl's has a well-earned reputation for elegant fine dining. Syl's was founded in 1946 by the Pekol family, and on Sept. 3, 2019, Don and Maura Williams took over the ownership.

"With over 25 years in the hospitality and catering industry, the Williams Family is committed to honoring the tradition of this renowned family establishment," Syl's announced at the time.

Williams was very well-known in Joliet's fine-dining arena. He runs the catering for the downtown Joliet Renaissance Center, and he previously did the catering at Joliet's Country Club.

Last October, Williams was introduced as one of the founding members for the Joliet Chamber's new Food and Beverage Association.

In 2019, Joliet Patch produced an in-depth story on the change in ownership at Syl's.

"I'm not changing a lot, but we are going to be doing daily bar specials," Williams informed Patch. "You can get a filet anywhere, a New York strip anywhere, but there are some things on our menu here that you are not going to see anywhere else.

"Bob (Pekol) has got a great business down here, and hopefully we can expand it. I'm 49 years old and that range of 45 years old to 55 years old, they've all been here before. Maybe they came down with their mom and dad ... I want to get them back. I want to get them back into the fold."

In less than two hours after Joliet Patch published this story, loyal readers took to Facebook, offering their condolences to the family.

"Had the pleasure of working with Duke on a Golf outing at the Joliet Country Club. He was very helpful and great guy to work with he will be missed," Kirk wrote.

"My condolences to the Syls family, and to Maura. We had food catered by Dukes. Such a loss to the community," Jennifer posted.

"So sorry for your loss. We were there for Mother's Day," Jean Ann replied.

"Condolences to Duke's family," Craig wrote.

"So sad to hear. Best in the area. Hope someone steps into the role and hosts," Father John Jay Comerford, a Carmelite priest from Joliet, responded on Facebook.

Patch will update this story as more details are known for visitation and funeral services.