SR1169 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1169 LRB103 42355 LAW 75579 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of former Illinois Auditor General William G. "Bill" Holland of Seattle, Washington, who passed away on August 10, 2024; and

WHEREAS, Bill Holland was born to Edward James Holland and Jane Murdock Holland in Joliet on November 22, 1951; he was raised in Prairie Village, Kansas; he moved to Seattle, Washington to attend Seattle University in 1970, earning a degree in public affairs in 1974; he married Liz Meagher, currently Liz Bernahl, soon after; although they later divorced, they raised three children and remained friends until his passing; later in life, he returned to Seattle to live near his children and grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Bill Holland proudly worked as a public servant to the State of Illinois for 41 years; early in his career, he served as director of the Illinois House Majority Appropriations Committee Staff and as the first director of the Illinois General Assembly's Washington, D.C. office; he was appointed chief of staff to then-Illinois Senate President Phillip J. Rock in 1983, and he held that position for nearly 10 years; and

WHEREAS, Bill Holland was appointed Illinois Auditor General by the 87th Illinois General Assembly in 1992; as the State's longest-serving auditor general, his career spanned the administrations of five governors, five state treasurers, and six state comptrollers, earning him a reputation for fairness, objectivity, and high ethical standards; during his tenure, he was a member of the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers (NASACT), serving as its president and ultimately being inducted into the NASACT Hall of Fame in 2022; he retired from public service in 2015; and

WHEREAS, Bill Holland was a skillful handyman, a principled gin player, an above-average golfer, a fervent Fighting Illini basketball fan, a dedicated saloon enthusiast, and a consummate good neighbor; while residing in Seattle, he enjoyed working on house projects, attending sporting events of and playing cards with his grandchildren, riding an electric bike through Seattle, and watching ships come into port from his living room window that overlooked the Puget Sound; and

WHEREAS, Bill Holland was a distinguished public servant, a loving father, and an adoring grandfather; he will be remembered as a public leader of high integrity, a dear friend to many, and a father and grandfather full of good humor and wisdom; and

WHEREAS, Bill Holland was preceded in death by his parents; and

WHEREAS, Bill Holland is survived by his siblings, Edward James (Bridget) Holland Jr., James (Julie) Holland, Mary (Chuck) Schmidt, Jack (Karen) Holland, and Jan (Jim) Stacy; his children, Meghan (Greg) Squires, Tom (Catherine) Holland, and Jack Holland; and seven grandchildren; 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 former Illinois Auditor General William G. "Bill" Holland 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 Bill Holland as an expression of our deepest sympathy.