SR0438 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0438 LRB103 33753 ECR 63567 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of the Honorable Richard H. Mills of Springfield, who passed away on July 16, 2023; and

WHEREAS, Judge Mills was born to Myron E. Mills and Helen Greve Mills in Beardstown on July 19, 1929; he received a Bachelor of Arts from Illinois College, where he was a varsity debater and orator; he earned his Juris Doctor from Mercer University, and he served on the editorial board of the Mercer Law Review; he obtained his Master of Laws from the University of Virginia; he married Rachel Keagle in 1962, and she preceded him in death in 2020; and

WHEREAS, Judge Mills served as a major general in the Illinois State Militia and a colonel in the Army of the United States; he served on active and reserve duty in the Combat Engineers, Military Intelligence, Counterintelligence, and the Judge Advocate General's Corps; during his active and reserve service, he graduated from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Corps School, the Army Judge Advocate General School, the Army Command and General Staff College, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces; he held numerous reserve assignments, including commander of SSS Detachment 5-2; during the Korean War, he served with the 3rd Infantry Division on active duty in Korea for 14 months, during which he served in Intelligence and Counterintelligence under the G-2 of the 3rd Division; and

WHEREAS, For his military service, Judge Mills earned a Bronze Star, two army Meritorious Service Medals, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the Korean Service Medal with Battle Star; he also holds both the U.S. and Korean President Unit Citations; and

WHEREAS, Judge Mills served as State's Attorney of Cass County, was a legal advisor to the Illinois Youth Commission, and was a country lawyer with offices in Virginia, Illinois; he served as an Illinois Circuit Judge for 10 years and was a Justice of the Appellate Court of Illinois from 1976 to 1985; he was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to serve as a U.S. District Judge for the Central District of Illinois and was sworn in on August 27, 1985; he sat on courts of appeal around the country by designation of the Chief Justice of the United States; he sat on eight of the 13 circuits; and

WHEREAS, Judge Mills was a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee for 23 years, the Illinois Law Enforcement Commission, and the Advisory Board of the National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice; he was a distinguished Eagle Scout, serving as president of the Abraham Lincoln Council at Springfield for two terms; he also authored numerous legal articles published in professional journals; and

WHEREAS, Judge Mills is survived by his sons, Dr. Jon (Nadine) Mills and Daniel Cass Mills; his granddaughters, McKensi Rae (Evan) Mills Patterson, Chloe Gorsky Mills, and Ivy Briana Mills; and his great-grandchild, Finn Mills Patterson; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of the Honorable Richard H. Mills and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Judge Mills as an expression of our deepest sympathy.