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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 4

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

o	Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

Name and Address of Reporting
Person*

Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading
Symbol

I.R.S. Identification Number of Reporting
Person, if an entity (Voluntary)

Desjardins, John R.

(Last) (First) (Middle)

Whitehall Jewellers, Inc. (JWL)

c/o Whitehall Jewellers, Inc.
155 N. Wacker Dr., Suite 500

(Street)

Statement for Month/Day/Year

If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)

3/02

Relationship of Reporting Person(s)
to Issuer (Check All Applicable)

Individual or Joint/Group Filing
(Check Applicable Line)

Chicago, IL 60606

(City) (State) (Zip)

Director

10% Owner

Form Filed by One Reporting Person

Officer (give title below)

Form Filed by More than One Reporting Person

Other (specify below)

Executive Vice President - Finance

Reminder:		Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.

*		If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see instruction 4(b)(v).

Table I — Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

Title of Security
(Instr. 3)

Transaction
Date
(Month/Day/Year)

2A.

Deemed Execution
Date, if any
(Month/Day/Year)

Transaction
Code
(Instr. 8)

Securities Acquired (A) or
Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)

Amount of Sec-
urities Beneficially
Owned Following
Reported Trans-
action(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)

Ownership
Form:
Direct (D) or
Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)

Nature of
Indirect
Beneficial
Ownership
(Instr. 4)

Code

Amount

(A)
or
(D)

Price

Common Stock**

3/11/02

2,141

N/A

643,996

D/I

***

Page 2

Table II — Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

Title of Derivative
Security
(Instr. 3)

Conversion or Exercise
Price of Derivative
Security

Transaction
Date
(Month/Day/Year)

3A.

Deemed Execution
Date, if any
(Month/Day/Year)

Transaction
Code
(Instr. 8)

Number of Derivative Securities
Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)

Code

(A)

(D)

Page 3

Table II — Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned — Continued
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

Date Exercisable and
Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)

Title and Amount
of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)

Price of Derivative
Security
(Instr. 5)

Number of Derivative Securities
Beneficially Owned Following
Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)

10.

Ownership Form of
Derivative Security:
Direct (D) or
Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)

11.

Nature of
Indirect
Beneficial
Ownership
(Instr. 4)

Date
Exercisable

Expiration
Date

Title

Amount or
Number of
Shares

Explanation of Responses:

**Restricted Stock Award: Restrictions on the shares lapse in three equal annual installments (1/3 on 3/11/03; an additional 1/3 (2/3 on a cumulative basis) on 3/11/04; and the remaining 1/3 (all shares on a cumulative basis) on 3/11/05.

***12,440 shares are held by the issuer’s Employee Stock Ownership Trust; 33,248 shares are held by the John R. Desjardins 1995 Family Trust U/A/D 12/28/95.

/s/ John R. Desjardins		10/15/02
****Signature of Reporting Person		Date

****		Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).

Note:		File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.

Page 4

DESJARDINS JOHN R 4