SR0416 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0416 LRB101 12412 MST 60489 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Ralph Tracy Turner of Normal, who passed away on May 7, 2019; and

WHEREAS, Ralph Turner was born in Lincoln to James B. and Katherine Eleanor (Witham) Turner on May 27, 1946; he graduated from McLean High School in 1964 and Tulane University in 1968, where he played collegiate baseball for two years and spent his junior year in Bristol, England, which led to a lifelong passion for travel; he received his master's degree in political science from Illinois State University in 1970 and a juris doctor of law from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1973; and

WHEREAS, Ralph Turner returned to Bloomington in 1973 to practice law; in 1977, he founded the Luedtke, Hartweg and Turner law firm, eventually Hartweg, Turner, Wood & DeVary; he was the managing partner of his firm for 31 years and was respected and admired for his skill as a lawyer, his service as a citizen, and his dedication to his profession; for over 25 years, he taught probate law to paralegal and pre-law students at Illinois State University; and

WHEREAS, Ralph Turner was a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the Illinois Bar Foundation; he was a past member of the Board of Governors of the McLean County Bar Association and a long-serving member of the Board of Directors and past chairman (1994-95) of the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education; he enjoyed serving the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, and the Board of Directors of the McLean County Bar Association; he served as chair of the ABA's Young Lawyers Committee (1981-82), chair of the ABA's Decedents Estates Administration Committee (1987-1993), and chair of the Agriculture Committee of the ABA's Section of Taxation (1988-89); in 1994, he was elected as a Fellow to the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel; in 2009, the McLean County Bar Association awarded him the Lincoln Award of Excellence; and

WHEREAS, For over 20 years, Ralph Turner served in a variety of roles with BroMenn Healthcare; he served on the boards of the BroMenn Foundation and the BroMenn Physicians Medical Corp; he was chair of the BroMenn Healthcare Systems Board of Directors (2009-2010) and helped guide BroMenn from a standalone healthcare system through its merger with Advocate Health Systems, later serving as chairman of the Advocate BroMenn Governing Council (2010); and

WHEREAS, Ralph Turner was an active member of the Bloomington Kiwanis Club, serving as president in 1990-91; he particularly enjoyed supporting Camp Limberlost; he was a member of Second Presbyterian Church for over 45 years, serving as an elder and chair of the Board of Trustees; and

WHEREAS, Ralph Turner enjoyed his Sunday golf games with friends; he looked forward to meeting every week with his men's small group and his Saturday breakfast group; his greatest joy was spending time with his children and grandchildren at the family farm in McLean, in New Orleans, on Longboat Key, or visiting them in New York and California; he relished his many travels in the U.S. and abroad, exploring the world; and

WHEREAS, Ralph Turner was preceded in death by his parents and his brother-in-law, Roger Miller; and

WHEREAS, Ralph Turner is survived by his daughters, Christine (Eduardo Moreno), Ashley, and Andrea (Steven Moffitt); his grandchildren, Hayden and Grayson Moffitt, with a third due in late May; his step-grandchildren, Eddie and Josue Moreno; his sisters, Susan (Kenneth) Walden, Nancy Miller, Ann Turner, and Alice (Richard) Girdler; his close friend, Martha Mitchell; his former wife, Karyn Pitts Turner; and many nieces and nephews and their children; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Ralph Tracy Turner and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Ralph Turner as an expression of our deepest sympathy.