Memorial service for George Ryan held in his hometown of Kankakee
KANKAKEE, Ill. (WGN) — Funeral services for former Gov. George Ryan took place in his hometown of Kankakee.
Friends, family and colleagues gathered at Asbury United Methodist Church on Thursday to say goodbye to Ryan during a memorial service. Cameras were not permitted inside the church during the ceremony.
A private entombment was held prior to the service, WGN News has learned.
Ryan passed away last Friday at the age of 91.
Previous Coverage: Former Illinois Governor George Ryan, who served time for corruption, dies at 91
He served as the 39th Governor of Illinois from 1999 to 2003. Ryan, a Republican, also served as Illinois Secretary of State before his governorship from 1991 to 1999, and as the state's Lieutenant Governor from 1983 to 1991.
He made national headlines in January 2000 when he imposed a statewide moratorium on executions, and three years later, commuted the sentences of 167 convicted who were on or waiting to be sent to Illinois' death row.
Thom Serafin, the communicator who ran the memorial service, noted how Ryan was known to reach across the aisle on political issues of his era in American politics.
'The difference today is we don't communicate; we don't talk to each other,' Serafin said. 'I was in Springfield last couple days. There are a lot of issues, but we don't talk to each other. Republicans are not talking to democrats. Democrats are not talking to Republicans.'
Hedy Ratner, a lifelong Chicago Democrat who worked alongside Ryan and former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, recapped part of her speech after the ceremony.
'On so many issues, he was ahead of his time, often taking position in opposition to the consternation of his conservative Republican colleagues,' Ratner said. 'He was very grumpy, but he was very kind and generous. I ended up saying, since I know he is watching me and timing me—he always accused me of talking more than I should—please forgive me dearly George. I just couldn't cut this.'
After his time in office, Ryan was convicted on fraud and racketeering charges in 2006 that stemmed from his time as secretary of state. He went on to serve more than five years in federal prison, during which his wife died from lung cancer in 2011.
'He didn't feel that he did the things he was accused of, but the separation of Lura Lynn was the penalty of his life,' Serafin said.
Ryan was born in Maquoketa, Iowa, but grew up in Kankakee County and attended Kankakee High School. In 1954, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and eventually served a 13-month tour in Korea.
After returning from the Army, Ryan married his high school sweetheart, Lura Lynn. The two had five daughters and one son.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
20 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Luigi Mangione Update: New Details From Alleged Manifesto Revealed
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Prosecutors released new excerpts from Luigi Mangione's spiral notebook, detailing the alleged killer's motive for targeting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. A Wednesday court filing described detailed planning and ideological motivations, including Mangione's stated desire to avoid civilian casualties. Mangione, 27, was arrested five days after Thompson was shot and killed outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel on December 4, 2024. Authorities have characterized the crime as premeditated and politically motivated, and the evidence is now at the center of upcoming court proceedings. Newsweek reached out to Mangione's legal team for comment. Why It Matters The killing of Thompson, CEO of the country's largest health insurer, has highlighted deep public frustration with the American health insurance system and ignited debate over the potential for violent acts as a form of protest. In the wake of the crime, health insurance employees expressed heightened fears for their safety. The case has drawn both public condemnation and some support for Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges in his federal and state cases. Luigi Mangione appears at a court hearing in New York on February 21, 2025. Luigi Mangione appears at a court hearing in New York on February 21, 2025. Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP, Pool, File What To Know According to the court filing, Mangione's diary entries chronicled months of planning. He allegedly surveilled Thompson near the Midtown hotel the night before the killing. An August 15, 2024, entry read: "I finally feel confident about what I will do. The details are coming together. And I don't feel any doubt about whether it's right/justified. I'm glad in a way that I've procrastinated bc it allowed me to learn more about UHC." It said that after considering another target, he chose the health insurance industry. "The target is insurance. It checks every box," the August entry read. Mangione's red notebook, seized during his arrest in Altoona, Pennsylvania, contained statements allegedly explaining his rationale for targeting UnitedHealthcare and seeking maximum public impact. He reasoned that attacking the CEO at an annual investor event was "targeted, precise and doesn't risk innocents." A larger attack "would've been an unjustified catastrophe," particularly one he allegedly contemplated in Maryland, which he decided against due to the risk to innocent lives. He described an intent to "send a message" through the killing, emphasizing the choice of a symbolic target and the timing for maximum disruption. Alleged Motive and Wider Impact Prosecutors said Mangione singled out UnitedHealthcare as a surrogate for the broader health insurance industry, stating that the company "literally extracts human life force for money." Thompson's death produced tangible fear within UnitedHealthcare and across the health insurance sector, with threats being reported and employees being advised not to wear branded apparel. Court records and a federal complaint stated Mangione was not a current UnitedHealthcare customer and acted alone, motivated by animosity toward the industry's structure. What People Are Saying Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann, Manhattan District Attorney's Office, in a filing: "If ever there were an open and shut case pointing to defendant's guilt, this case is that case. Simply put, one would be hard-pressed to find a case with such overwhelming evidence of guilt as to the identity of the murderer and premeditated nature of the assassination." Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione's defense attorney, in an April 1 statement: "This is a corrupt web of government dysfunction and one-upmanship. Luigi is caught in a high-stakes game of tug-of-war between state and federal prosecutors, except the trophy is a young man's life." What Happens Next Mangione is scheduled to appear in court on June 26 for a pre-trial hearing in his New York state case. The court's decisions on the admissibility of evidence going forward are expected to shape the trajectory of both state and federal proceedings. Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@
Forbes
20 minutes ago
- Forbes
Musk Digs Up Trump's 12-Year-Old Tweet To Attack His Policy Bill
Elon Musk directly jabbed President Donald Trump over his policy bill Thursday— in his most pointed attack on Trump himself—over the legislation Musk has previously mostly blamed Republican lawmakers for. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Elon Musk in the Oval Office of the ... More White House in Washington, DC, on May 30, 2025. (Photo by ALLISON ROBBERT/AFP via Getty Images) Musk reposted a 2013 tweet from Trump that said he was in disbelief and 'embarrassed' Republicans were extending the debt ceiling, captioning the repost 'wise words.' Trump on Wednesday said the debt limit should be 'entirely scrapped' as a provision of his 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act,' which would raise the debt ceiling ahead of its expected expiration date in August. This is a developing story and will be updated.
Axios
22 minutes ago
- Axios
"Who cares": Congress' Dems say good riddance to Karine Jean-Pierre
If former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre thought she would set off a five-alarm fire among top Democrats by leaving the party, she is about to be sorely disappointed. Why it matters: Democratic lawmakers who spoke to Axios characterized her personal motives as too transparent to be a knock on the party — and they don't exactly feel like they're losing their best messenger either. "Who cares," exclaimed one House Democrat. "It's easy for paid operatives to leave the party ... until they need something." Said another: "Her explanation for this move is as confusing and disjointed as her answers in her White House press briefings." Jean-Pierre did not respond to a request for comment. Driving the news: Jean-Pierre revealed Wednesday that she is becoming an independent after serving in two Democratic presidential administrations. The announcement coincides with the release of a new book, "Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines." The book's description decries "blind loyalty to a two-party democratic system" and promises to delve into "the three weeks that led to Biden's abandoning his bid for a second term and the betrayal by the Democratic Party that led to his decision." What they're saying: "Other than Sean Spicer ... she was the worst press secretary in American history," a third House Democrat told Axios of Jean-Pierre. "There were rumors that the Biden folks were trying to get rid of her because she's so terrible," the lawmaker said, speculating that she is trying to curry favor with Republicans to avoid a congressional subpoena. "I don't know who wrote her book. We know she couldn't give a press conference without reading every word from her briefing," they added. Zoom in: Jean-Pierre has also been lit up by her former Biden White House colleagues, with one former official telling Axios' Alex Thompson she was "one of the most ineffectual and unprepared people I've ever worked with." "She had meltdowns after any interview that asked about a topic not sent over by producers," the official said. Said another: "The amount of time that was spent coddling [Jean-Pierre] and appeasing her was astronomical compared to our attention on actual matters of substance." Zoom out: The latest Bidenworld infighting comes after the release of a new book from Thompson and CNN's Jake Tapper, " Original Sin," which recounts how Biden's team shielded him from public scrutiny about his age.
