SR0645 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0645 LRB104 20981 LAW 34845 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Michael Quinlan of Oak Brook, who passed away on September 22, 2025 at the age of 80; and

WHEREAS, Michael Quinlan was born to Robert and Jan Quinlan in Oak Park on December 12, 1944; and

WHEREAS, Michael Quinlan graduated from Fenwick High School in 1962, and he attended Loyola University Chicago on a full-tuition scholarship; and

WHEREAS, Michael Quinlan first got a part-time job in the mail room of McDonald's Headquarters for $2 an hour with the help of his roommate's mother, June Martino, the former secretary and bookkeeper for McDonald's founder, Ray Croc; and

WHEREAS, Michael Quinlan, after graduating with degrees in history and psychology in 1967, accepted full-time responsibilities at McDonald's in its Purchasing Department while taking night classes at Loyola University Chicago to earn a business degree; and

WHEREAS, Michael Quinlan was taken under the wing of Fred Turner, McDonald's then-CEO, and was placed in different areas of the company to obtain good exposure, including working at one of the McDonald's restaurants, where he learned frying, cleaning windows, and more; and

WHEREAS, Michael Quinlan, known as "Q" to his colleagues, became president of McDonald's at the age of 37 in 1982 before succeeding Fred Turner as CEO in 1987, ultimately being named chairman of the company in 1990; and

WHEREAS, Michael Quinlan was noted for staying out of the spotlight and practicing a hands-off management style while growing McDonald's internationally, including opening the first McDonald's in Moscow, Russia, which was then known as the Soviet Union; and

WHEREAS, Michael Quinlan, while at the helm, doubled McDonald's sales from $14.3 billion to $32 billion, and he largely expanded the number of restaurants from 9,911 to 22,000, all while extending the number of countries from 47 to 106; and

WHEREAS, Michael Quinlan was a major benefactor to his alma maters, serving as a member of Loyola University Chicago Board of Trustees and later as board chair in 1999, and donating $10 million to help build the Michael R. and Marilyn Quinlan Life Sciences Education and Research Center at the university, $40 million to Loyola's business school, which was later renamed after him in 2012, and $3 million to Fenwick High School in 2019 to help the institution build a new parking garage; and

WHEREAS, Michael Quinlan was devoted to his career, but he was also an avid golfer and loved to put his own twist on life, such as sending family St. Patrick's Day cards instead of Christmas cards; and

WHEREAS, Michael Quinlan was preceded in death by his wife of 54 years, Marilyn; his son, Kevin Quinlan; his parents; and his siblings, Nancy (Mike) O'Brien and Bobby Quinlan; and

WHEREAS, Michael Quinlan is survived by his son, Michael (fiancé, William Beggs) Quinlan; his grandchildren, Shane (Melanie) Quinlan and Kayla (fiancé, Cameron Shaffer) Quinlan; his great-grandchild, Molly; his siblings, Katie (John) Churchill and Terry (Diane) Quinlan; and many nieces and nephews; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Michael Quinlan 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 Michael Quinlan as an expression of our deepest sympathy.