HR1259 LRB093 24078 CSA 54237 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives offer our sincere appreciation to Richard R.
4 Ballinger for his many years of service as Coroner of DuPage
5 County; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Mr. Ballinger has been a DuPage County resident
7 for over 38 years, and currently lives in Glendale Heights with
8 his wife Sandy; and
 
9     WHEREAS, The Ballingers have raised three beautiful
10 daughters: Heather Frazier, husband Les, with two boys, Ethan
11 and Trevor; Laurel Belcher, husband Charley, with daughter,
12 Lindsey Rose; and Holly Ballinger; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Mr. Ballinger began his career in law enforcement
14 in 1970 as a patrolman with the DuPage County Sheriff's office
15 before becoming an evidence technician working in the sheriff's
16 crime lab; and
 
17     WHEREAS, In 1973, he was hired as the first full-time Chief
18 Deputy Coroner of DuPage County working with Coroner Robert
19 Matthews until 1987, when he was appointed Coroner to fulfill
20 Robert Matthews' term; and
 
21     WHEREAS, He was subsequently elected to the position of
22 Coroner in November of 1988, and re-elected in 1992, 1996, and
23 2000; and
 
24     WHEREAS, He has committed over 30 years of his life to law
25 enforcement and death investigation, during which he has
26 personally handled over 10,000 death investigations, presided
27 over 3,000 inquest hearings, and participated in over 270
28 homicide investigation; and
 

 

 

HR1259 - 2 - LRB093 24078 CSA 54237 r

1     WHEREAS, He is a member of countless professional
2 organizations; he is a member of the Illinois State Crime
3 Commission Board of Directors, a member of the Board of
4 Directors of Safe Wheels of America, a member of the Board of
5 the International Association of Coroners and Medical
6 Examiners, a member of the Advisory Board of Family Services of
7 DuPage County, chairman of MacCormac College Board of Trustees,
8 and a member of the State of Illinois Child Death Review Team,
9 as well as many others; and
 
10     WHEREAS, He has been the recipient of numerous awards for
11 the leadership he has shown, including the Illinois State Crime
12 Commission General Excellence Award for 2000 and the
13 Outstanding Young Man of America for 1981; and
 
14     WHEREAS, He bravely served his country in the United States
15 Army and is a Vietnam Veteran; and
 
16     WHEREAS, The residents of DuPage County are lucky to have
17 had such a strong leader, expert, and advocate as Coroner; and
 
18     WHEREAS, We recognize his service to DuPage Country and
19 salute his work in death investigations; therefore, be it
 
20     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
21 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
22 do hereby offer our congratulations to Richard R. Ballinger on
23 his retirement and express our gratitude for his many years of
24 public service; and be it further
 
25     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
26 presented to Mr. Ballinger.