Overview

• George Ryan, Illinois's 39th governor, passed away peacefully at his Kankakee home on May 2, 2025, at age 91.
• Visitation will take place on May 6 at Schreffler Funeral Home in Kankakee, with a memorial service on May 8 at Asbury United Methodist Church.
• Ryan served as governor from 1999 to 2003, during which he enacted a landmark moratorium on the death penalty, influencing Illinois's eventual abolition of capital punishment in 2011.
• His political career spanned decades, including roles as Illinois House Speaker, lieutenant governor, and secretary of state before his governorship.
• Ryan's legacy is marked by his 2007 federal corruption conviction tied to a bribery scandal, for which he served over five years in prison before advocating for criminal justice reform post-release.