SR1044 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1044 LRB103 40921 MST 73931 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Robert Allen Magnuson, who passed away on January 15, 2023 at the age of 55; and

WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and had an early love for history, law, and the connections between nations, interests that would guide his academic life and career; he was the oldest of five children and was often fearless, even going so far as to jump off the roof of his garage; and

WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson cared deeply for his family, ensuring that even as oil crashed in his home state, his mother and younger siblings had enough food on the table to support themselves; and

WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson had a knack for athletics, playing soccer, baseball, basketball, and football, among other sports; and

WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson's athletic prowess earned him a variety of opportunities to go to college on a football scholarship, including West Point; ultimately, he chose to attend Knox College in Galesburg, where he met his wife, Jacqueline, in their shared international relations class; and

WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson served as president of the student senate, played football, and joined the army via the ROTC program during his time at college; after graduation, he became an infantry officer and continued his education, attending law school; and

WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson and Jacqueline got married in her hometown of Chicago not long after they both graduated from law school; afterward, he received a military posting at Fort Benning, Georgia as a member of the JAG Corps and as an officer in the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, completing 28 jumps; and

WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson and Jacqueline had their first child, their daughter Morgan, a year into their time at Fort Benning; 18 months later, they celebrated the birth of their first son, Christian; and

WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson and his family's lives were full of moves; Jacqueline provided much stability for them during this time, first as a stay-at-home mother and later as an at home-educator, ensuring that there was a degree of constancy to their nomadic lives; and

WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson was deployed to Iraq for 11 months in 2004; during this time, he helped implement the use of JLENS (Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System), which helped save countless lives; in Iraq, he tirelessly held the U.S. government in compliance with environmental regulations, never compromising his ethics; and

WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson returned from Iraq with various health problems, but he never let them keep him from his family and work; he returned to serving his country by joining the reserve and holding various legal positions in the Army and Department of Defense; and

WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson and Jacqueline moved to Germany, where they welcomed their final child, their son Ian, just weeks after moving; in Germany, his presence was frequently requested at conferences as a subject matter expert; his presentations on various international environmental regulations are still being used today across NATO and the EU; and

WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson's dedication to his family and their dreams was relentless; even as his health continued to bring new challenges, he watched Morgan graduate from William and Mary with a degree in history, Christian become a software engineer at Apple, and Ian dive into the rich world of mathematics, science, and sports cars; and

WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson embodied compassion, self-sacrifice, and loyalty; to his family and friends, he was a source of light and wisdom, which stemmed from his lifelong faith and deep knowledge born from experience; with an unconditional love for all he met, his memory will be treasured deeply by those whose lives he touched; and

WHEREAS, At the time of his passing, Robert Magnuson was survived by his beloved Jacqueline; his three children, Morgan, Christian, and Ian; his mother Patricia; and his four siblings, Britt, Brian, Leif, and Mark; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Robert Allen Magnuson 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 Robert Magnuson as an expression of our deepest sympathy.