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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Matthew Edward Ryan of Joliet, who passed
4away on September 13, 2010; and
 
5    WHEREAS, After moving to Joliet in 2004, Matthew Ryan
6served as Chief of Staff for Will County Executive Larry Walsh
7until Mr. Ryan passed away; he also worked closely with the
8Joliet Chamber of Commerce, the Center for Economic
9Development, the Rialto Square Theatre, Easter Seals,
10Cornerstone Services, the 911 Board, and the Joliet Development
11Arsenal Authority; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Matthew Ryan became active in politics in his
13teenage years, when his uncle ran for city treasurer in Alton
14in 1972; he managed his uncle's reelection as city treasurer in
151977; he also helped develop the winning strategy for Paul
16Lenz's reelection as Mayor of Alton after Lenz was disqualified
17from the ballot because of petition deficiencies; the election
18was one of the largest write-in victories for a city of Alton's
19size, which was 40,000 at the time; and
 
20    WHEREAS, In 1980, Matthew Ryan served as an area
21coordinator for David Robinson, who ran against Paul Findley
22for the 20th Congressional seat; the campaign staff for the

 

 

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1Robinson team included David Wilhelm, Rahm Emanuel, and Forrest
2Claypool; and
 
3    WHEREAS, In 1982, Matthew Ryan joined Senate President Phil
4Rock's staff and was elected as President of the Illinois Young
5Democrats in 1984; he subsequently managed the successful
6campaign of United States Representative George Sangmeister in
71992 and signed on with the Paul Vallas for Governor campaign
8as campaign manager in 2001; the state-wide campaign resulted
9in the closest Democratic primary race in more than 25 years,
10despite being outspent 3-1 by an incumbent Democratic
11congressman; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Matthew Ryan and his wife, Angela Welsh, met at
13the Illinois State Capitol and married in 1993; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Matthew Ryan is survived by his wife, Angela; his
15parents, Robert and Mary Jane (Yenny) Ryan; his sister, Susan
16(Jim) Martin; his nieces Anne and Tess Martin; his sister,
17Kathleen (Dave) Lang; and his niece Leslie Lang; therefore, be
18it
 
19    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
20ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
21his family and friends, the passing of Matthew Edward Ryan; and
22be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2presented to the family of Matthew Ryan as a symbol of our
3sympathy.