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SENATE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to  
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learn of the death of
former Illinois Supreme Court Justice 
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Howard C. Ryan of Peru, who passed away on December 10, 2008; 
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and

 
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    WHEREAS, Howard Ryan was born on June 17, 1916 in Tonica; 
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his parents were John F. and Sarah (Egger) Ryan; he married 
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Helen Cizek on October 16, 1943 in Chicago; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Howard Ryan was educated at Tonica Schools, 
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LaSalle-Peru-Oglesby Junior College, the University of 
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Illinois, and the University of Illinois College of Law; he was 
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admitted to the practice of law on April 14, 1942; and

 
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    WHEREAS, On May 5, 1943, Howard Ryan enlisted in the U.S. 
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Army, joining the U.S. Army Air Corps, 2nd Ferry Division Air 
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Transport Command, where he served as a radio operator for 43 
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months; and

 
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    WHEREAS, After his discharge from the Army, Howard Ryan 
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practiced law in Decatur for one and a half years and then 
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returned to LaSalle County, residing in Tonica and moving his 
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practice to Peru; he was appointed a part-time assistant 
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LaSalle County state's attorney in 1952 and was elected county 
 


 






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judge in 1954; in 1957, he was elected circuit judge of the 
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13th Judicial Circuit, serving as chief judge from 1964 to 
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1968; he was elected to the 21-county 3rd District Appellate 
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Court in 1968 and, from that district, was elected to the 
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Supreme Court of Illinois in 1970; he served as chief justice 
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of the Supreme Court of Illinois from January of 1982 to 
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January of 1985; he retired in 1990 after serving 36 years as a 
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judge, including 20 years on the Illinois Supreme Court; and

 
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    WHEREAS, After his retirement, Justice Ryan served three 
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years as of counsel to the Chicago firm Peterson and Ross; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Justice Ryan was a member of various Masonic 
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bodies and was a 33rd degree Mason; he was also a member of the 
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Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Tonica United Methodist 
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Church, the LaSalle County, Illinois State, and American Bar 
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Associations, the Illinois Judges Association, and the 
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American Legion; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Justice Ryan was preceded in death by his wife, 
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Helen; his son, John; and his two brothers and one sister; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Justice Ryan is survived by his son, Judge H. 
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Chris (Kala) Ryan Jr.; his daughter, Elizabeth (Bing) 
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Blumreich; his five grandchildren; his sister, Mary Ryan 
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Warrner; and his nieces and nephews; therefore, be it

 
 


 






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    RESOLVED, BY THE  SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL 
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ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with 
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his family and friends, the passing of Justice Howard C. Ryan; 
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and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to the family of Justice Howard Ryan as an expression 
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of our sympathy.