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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of the Honorable Richard H. Mills of
4Springfield, who passed away on July 16, 2023; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Judge Mills was born to Myron E. Mills and Helen
6Greve Mills in Beardstown on July 19, 1929; he received a
7Bachelor of Arts from Illinois College, where he was a varsity
8debater and orator; he earned his Juris Doctor from Mercer
9University, and he served on the editorial board of the Mercer
10Law Review; he obtained his Master of Laws from the University
11of Virginia; he married Rachel Keagle in 1962, and she
12preceded him in death in 2020; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Judge Mills served as a major general in the
14Illinois State Militia and a colonel in the Army of the United
15States; he served on active and reserve duty in the Combat
16Engineers, Military Intelligence, Counterintelligence, and the
17Judge Advocate General's Corps; during his active and reserve
18service, he graduated from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence
19Corps School, the Army Judge Advocate General School, the Army
20Command and General Staff College, and the Industrial College
21of the Armed Forces; he held numerous reserve assignments,
22including commander of SSS Detachment 5-2; during the Korean
23War, he served with the 3rd Infantry Division on active duty in

 

 

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1Korea for 14 months, during which he served in Intelligence
2and Counterintelligence under the G-2 of the 3rd Division; and
 
3    WHEREAS, For his military service, Judge Mills earned a
4Bronze Star, two army Meritorious Service Medals, the Joint
5Service Commendation Medal, and the Korean Service Medal with
6Battle Star; he also holds both the U.S. and Korean President
7Unit Citations; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Judge Mills served as State's Attorney of Cass
9County, was a legal advisor to the Illinois Youth Commission,
10and was a country lawyer with offices in Virginia, Illinois;
11he served as an Illinois Circuit Judge for 10 years and was a
12Justice of the Appellate Court of Illinois from 1976 to 1985;
13he was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to serve as a U.S.
14District Judge for the Central District of Illinois and was
15sworn in on August 27, 1985; he sat on courts of appeal around
16the country by designation of the Chief Justice of the United
17States; he sat on eight of the 13 circuits; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Judge Mills was a member of the Illinois Supreme
19Court Rules Committee for 23 years, the Illinois Law
20Enforcement Commission, and the Advisory Board of the National
21Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice; he was a
22distinguished Eagle Scout, serving as president of the Abraham
23Lincoln Council at Springfield for two terms; he also authored

 

 

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1numerous legal articles published in professional journals;
2and
 
3    WHEREAS, Judge Mills is survived by his sons, Dr. Jon
4(Nadine) Mills and Daniel Cass Mills; his granddaughters,
5McKensi Rae (Evan) Mills Patterson, Chloe Gorsky Mills, and
6Ivy Briana Mills; and his great-grandchild, Finn Mills
7Patterson; therefore, be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
9ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
10the Honorable Richard H. Mills and extend our sincere
11condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved
12him; and be it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14presented to the family of Judge Mills as an expression of our
15deepest sympathy.