Bill Text: IL SR0991 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourns the death of former Illinois State Representative James Richard "Jim" Reilly Jr.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2022-04-09 - Resolution Adopted [SR0991 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2021-SR0991-Introduced.html

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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

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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

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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

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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.