Illinois 2025-2026 Regular Session

Illinois Senate Bill SR0087 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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3	3	1 SENATE RESOLUTION
4	4	2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
5	5	3 to learn of the death of James Bottomley "Jim" Bleyer, who
6	6	4 passed away on January 6, 2025; and
7	7	5 WHEREAS, Jim Bleyer was born to Albert and Margaret
8	8	6 (Tregoning) Bleyer on on October 5, 1928; he graduated from
9	9	7 Carterville High School in 1946; he enlisted in the U.S. Army
10	10	8 and served during the immediate aftermath of World War II; he
11	11	9 attended Southern Illinois University, graduating in three
12	12	10 years; he attended law school at Notre Dame, where he was
13	13	11 awarded the Hoynes Prize, given to the graduating law class
14	14	12 member who has the best record in scholarship, application,
15	15	13 deportment, and achievement; and
16	16	14 WHEREAS, Jim Bleyer began his legal career in 1954 at the
17	17	15 law firm of Franklin and Garrison, leaving in 1966 to pursue
18	18	16 the law as a sole practitioner; in 1976, he was inducted as a
19	19	17 Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, an exclusive
20	20	18 national organization comprised of lawyers with exceptional
21	21	19 courtroom acumen; and
22	22	20 WHEREAS, Jim Bleyer formed Bleyer and Bleyer in 1984 with
23	23	21 his nephew, Brad; later, his children, Joe and Mary Margaret,
24	24	22 along with his nephew, Rocky, and his great-nephew, Jonathan,
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33	33	1 all worked at the firm; his granddaughter, Jennifer, worked at
34	34	2 the firm while in law school; and
35	35	3 WHEREAS, Jim Bleyer was on the Character and Fitness
36	36	4 Committee for the Illinois Supreme Court and enjoyed years of
37	37	5 interviewing young attorneys prior to their admission to the
38	38	6 bar; he continued practicing law and trying cases until age 92
39	39	7 and was an active member of the Illinois Bar; during his
40	40	8 70-year career, he earned the highest recognition possible in
41	41	9 the legal field for his professionalism and ethics and had a
42	42	10 lasting impact on the law, having argued several seminal cases
43	43	11 before the Illinois Supreme Court; and
44	44	12 WHEREAS, Jim Bleyer received the Illinois State Bar
45	45	13 Association Laureate Award, the highest award honoring those
46	46	14 deemed to exemplify the highest ideals of the profession; and
47	47	15 WHEREAS, Jim Bleyer was a proud member of St. Joseph's
48	48	16 Catholic Church and served as a trustee; he was a charter
49	49	17 member of the Knights of Columbus in Marion; he was awarded the
50	50	18 Marion Area Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award in
51	51	19 2007; and
52	52	20 WHEREAS, Jim Bleyer's most ardent love, aside from his
53	53	21 family, was the University of Notre Dame, especially its
54	54	22 sports; and
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65	65	1 WHEREAS, Jim Bleyer was preceded in death by his wife of 57
66	66	2 years, Eileen; his daughter, Teresa; his parents; and his
67	67	3 brothers, sisters-in-law, and nephews, Bill and Dorothy
68	68	4 (Rushing) Bleyer and son, Eric, Frank and Lita (LeVan) and
69	69	5 son, Tony, and Tom, Tom's son, David, and wife, O'Mira; and
70	70	6 WHEREAS, Jim Bleyer is survived by his children, Mary
71	71	7 Margaret (the Honorable John H.) Foradora, John Cavanaugh
72	72	8 (Susan) Bleyer, Joseph Albert (Stacy) Bleyer, Anna Marie (Eric
73	73	9 S.) Vogel, and James Robert (Heidi) Bleyer; his grandchildren,
74	74	10 Jennifer Marie (Dan) Schroeder, Eric S. (Kaitlin) Vogel Jr.,
75	75	11 Margaret Erin Vogel, Kathleen Teresa Vogel, Joseph James
76	76	12 Bleyer, Michael D. Bleyer, Margaret Teresa Bleyer, Mason James
77	77	13 Bleyer, Elena Kate Bleyer, James Henry Foradora, and Abigail
78	78	14 Margaret Bleyer; his great-grandchildren, Stella Elizabeth,
79	79	15 Michael Stephen, and Luke James Vogel and Frank Albert and
80	80	16 Thomas James Schroeder; and numerous nieces and nephews;
81	81	17 therefore, be it
82	82	18 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL
83	83	19 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
84	84	20 James Bottomley "Jim" Bleyer and extend our sincere
85	85	21 condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved
86	86	22 him; and be it further
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