Funeral held for former Illinois Gov. George Ryan
Illinois Governor George Ryan talks during an event July 27, 2000 at York Community High School in Elmhurst, IL. at which the governor awarded the Elmhurst Community School District 205, through the Illinois FIRST program, a $13.1 million school cons
KANKAKEE, Ill. - A funeral service was held for ex-Illinois Gov. George Ryan on Thursday in his hometown of Kankakee.
His memorial service started at noon at the Ashbury United Methodist Church.
Ryan, the 39th governor of Illinois, died last week at age 91 after a brief stay in hospice care. Ryan passed away peacefully at his home in Kankakee, surrounded by his family. He was remembered as a "loving and attentive husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather," his obituary said.
Ryan served as a Republican governor from 1999 to 2003.
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The backstory:
Ryan is remembered for a complicated legacy—one that includes a federal corruption conviction and a history-making decision to halt executions in Illinois.
He was convicted on 18 counts of corruption in 2007, tied to his time as Illinois secretary of state and governor. The charges stemmed from the FBI’s wide-ranging Operation Safe Roads investigation, which uncovered a bribery scheme in which commercial driver’s licenses were issued in exchange for payoffs. The case drew national attention after an unqualified truck driver involved in the scandal caused a crash that killed six children and injured their parents, Scott and Janet Willis.
Ryan later served more than five years in federal prison and was released in 2013.
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Dig deeper:
Ryan’s corruption case centered around his tenure as secretary of state, where he was found to have led an office that routinely accepted bribes for licenses and permits. As governor, prosecutors said he continued steering state business to friends in return for gifts and vacations and tried to shut down internal investigations.
Despite the scandal, Ryan is perhaps best known for his decision in 2003 to impose a moratorium on the death penalty in Illinois, citing flaws in the justice system and the risk of executing innocent people. In his final days in office, he commuted the sentences of all 167 people on death row.
"I could not take the risk that the system would execute someone who was innocent," Ryan later said.
Andrea Lyon, his longtime friend and former criminal defense attorney, said she remembers Ryan as a warm-hearted person who she says once literally gave a homeless veteran the coat off of his back in the dead of winter.
"He just had boundless kindness for everyone – whether they were important or not," Lyon said.
Former Republican State Representative Jim Durkin remembers a consummate dealmaker who was able to work across the aisle to get legislation passed.
"He liked to cut deals but the fact is he made sure it was right for Illinoisans," Durkin said.
Political background
Local perspective:
Ryan began his political career in 1968 as a member of the Kankakee County Board before becoming its chairman. In 1973, he was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, where he served for 10 years, including six as leader of the Republican caucus and two as Speaker of the House, his obituary said.
In 1983, Ryan was elected lieutenant governor, serving for eight years. He was then elected Illinois Secretary of State in 1990 and re-elected in 1994.
The Source: The story came from the obituary of George Ryan and previous FOX 32 reporting.