SR0991 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0991 LRB102 27226 MST 38867 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of former Illinois State Representative James Richard "Jim" Reilly Jr., who passed away on April 4, 2022; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Reilly was born in Springfield to James and Alta Reilly on January 31, 1945; he graduated from Springfield High School and received his Bachelor of Science from Illinois College and his Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago, where he was Phi Beta Kappa; he married M. Veronica Lynch in Saugatuck, Michigan in 1991; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Reilly practiced law with the firm of Foreman, Rammelkamp, Bradney and Hall in Jacksonville and served as the Jacksonville City Attorney; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Reilly was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, representing Jacksonville and west central Illinois; he served for three terms over six years from 1977 until 1983 and had numerous accomplishments in the area of child welfare and protection; he chaired the Illinois Education and State Government Committees and the Committee on Appropriations; he was chief sponsor of the Illinois Human Rights Act and Emergency Medical Services Act and championed reform for the Regional Transportation Authority; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Reilly served as the chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), the agency that owns McCormick Place, the nation's largest convention center, and Navy Pier, Illinois' top tourist and leisure destination; he most recently served as a trustee of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority and as a life trustee of Navy Pier's Board of Directors; he oversaw the development and complete renovation of Navy Pier and the expansion of McCormick Place; under his leadership as trustee for the MPEA, historic measures were enacted to ensure the economic vitality of McCormick Place and Navy Pier; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Reilly's professional experiences included serving as chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority, chief executive officer of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, and chairman of the board of the Illinois Capital Development Board; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Reilly supported numerous organizations, including Navy Pier, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Mercy Hospital, the Illinois Institute of Technology, Choose Chicago, the Jacksonville Area Association of Citizens with Intellectual Disability, the Jacksonville Theater Guild, Illinois College, the Edgar Fellows Program, and Chicago's culture and arts community; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Reilly's favorite pastimes included trains, both real and models, and he showcased them for his many nieces and nephews during the holiday gatherings; he traveled extensively, both overseas and throughout the United States; his visits to Europe were frequent, and he enjoyed calling the British Island of Tortola a second home; he particularly appreciated Vienna, Taiwan, Venice, Kenya, and Paris; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Reilly had a passion for the arts; his support of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra reflected this and were surpassed only by his commitment and dedication to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater; he was an avid fan of the Chicago Bears and Chicago Bulls, although his years spent in downstate Illinois led to the St. Louis Cardinals becoming his favorite baseball team; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Reilly was preceded in death by his parents; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Reilly is survived by his wife of 30 years, Veronica; an aunt; many cherished cousins, brothers, and sisters-in-law; and numerous nieces, nephews, and their spouses; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of former Illinois State Representative James Richard "Jim" Reilly Jr. 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 Rep. Reilly as an expression of our deepest sympathy.