Overview

• George Ryan, who served as Illinois governor from 1999 to 2003, was remembered at a memorial service on May 8 at Asbury United Methodist Church in his hometown of Kankakee.
• Ryan passed away at 91 on May 2, 2025, after a brief stay in hospice care, surrounded by family at his home in Kankakee.
• He earned national attention in 2003 for imposing a moratorium on Illinois's death penalty and commuting 167 death row sentences, citing flaws in the justice system.
• Ryan's political career was overshadowed by his 2007 conviction on 18 federal corruption charges tied to a bribery scheme during his tenure as Illinois Secretary of State and governor.
• The memorial highlighted both his contributions to criminal justice reform and the lasting controversy of his corruption case, which included a tragic crash that killed six children.