AP News, June 7th, 2007
Veteran theater owner and entrepreneur Anthony De Santis has died at age 93 following a long battle with cancer, his family said.
De Santis, who built the Drury Lane theater empire in the Chicago area, died Wednesday at his Oakbrook Terrace apartment that overlooked one of his theaters, said his grandson, Kyle De Santis.
"His personality and his love of family and his work, his presence will be missed," Kyle De Santis said.
De Santis was born in Gary, Ind., on Jan. 5, 1914. He opened the first Drury Lane Theatre in 1949 in a tent next to his famous Martinique restaurant in suburban Evergreen Park. He eventually became a high-profile restaurateur and theater owner in the Chicago area, opening five Drury Lane theaters _ the North, South, East, Water Tower and Oakbrook Terrace.
His theaters attracted Broadway and Hollywood stars, including Debbie Reynolds, Rosemary Clooney, Ginger Rogers and Phyllis Diller, and became popular places for locals to see top talent at reasonable prices.
"He did everything the way he wanted to do it, and nobody was going to argue with him," said his daughter, Diane Van Lente. "That's what made him tick and go all those years."
De Santis made regular donations to numerous charities, including a $1 million gift to Catholic Charities last year.
The De Santis family still owns the Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace and the Drury Lane Water Tower Place theaters. Kyle De Santis said his grandfather continued to work until about two months ago.
Besides his daughter and grandson, De Santis is survived by his wife, Lucille; his brother, Dante; and four other grandchildren.
A funeral Mass is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Monday at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago.
