KANKAKEE, Ill. (WLS) — A funeral will be held Thursday for the late former Illinois Governor George Ryan. He died last Friday at the age of 91.
He will be remembered with memorial service in his hometown of Kankakee.
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Ryan had recently been moved into hospice care before his death, former Illinois House Republican leader Jim Durkin said last Friday.
A visitation was held Tuesday at Schreffler Funeral Home – Kankakee Chapel, 1900 W. Court St. in Kankakee.
A memorial service will begin at noon Thursday at Asbury United Methodist Church, 196 S. Harrison in Kankakee.
READ MORE | Former Illinois Governor George Ryan dies at 91
The Republican held the position of governor from 1999 to 2003. His most notable action during his tenure was implementing a moratorium on the death penalty in Illinois.
Ryan grew up in Kankakee, where he worked in the family pharmacy before beginning a 40-year career serving in state government.
He advanced from being the speaker of the Illinois House to winning a statewide election as lieutenant governor and then secretary of state, eventually serving a single term as the governor of Illinois from 1999 to 2003.
Although the former governor gained international attention for suspending the state’s death penalty, his legacy was marred by a federal corruption conviction. As Illinois Secretary of State in 1994, he was implicated when a truck driver, who had unlawfully acquired his commercial license, caused a tragic accident that resulted in the deaths of six children.
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His wife Lura Lynn passed away while he was in prison. He was released in 2013.
Ryan’s halting of the death penalty earned him considerations for a Noble Peace Prize.
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