SR0623 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0623 LRB104 20895 ECR 34584 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Danny Lee "Dan" Egler of Springfield, who passed away on January 5, 2026; and

WHEREAS, Dan Egler was raised on his family farm in Indiana, where he was known for his mischievous antics with his brother, Dick; with ambition for political discourse, he headed to college at Indiana University (IU) at Bloomington, where he received his bachelor's degree in journalism and where he became a proud founding member of the Gamma Chi Chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity, one of the nation's oldest fraternities; he remained an active supporter of his beloved fraternity for his entire life; and

WHEREAS, Dan Egler was a proud and dedicated American and Illinoisan; after graduation, he joined the staff of the Chicago Tribune as a reporter in the summer of 1969; later that year, he was drafted into the United States Army, taking leave from the Tribune to proudly serve his country; he spent the majority of his Army career stationed in Ft. Hood, Texas, until his honorable discharge in August 1971; and

WHEREAS, Illinois politics was both Dan Egler's passion and his life's work; upon his discharge from the Army, he returned to writing for the Chicago Tribune; in the fall of 1977, he moved his family to Springfield to cover politics for the Tribune and eventually was promoted to Statehouse Bureau Chief; he spent nearly 14 years covering the highs and lows of Illinois State government; he left journalism to join Governor Jim Edgar's administration as associate press secretary and speech writer in 1992, where he coined the governor's famous line that it was time for state government "to tear up the credit cards"; and

WHEREAS, After six years, Dan Egler moved to the State of Illinois' Capital Development Board, where he was instrumental in the planning of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum; despite taking advantage of early retirement from the government sector at age 55 in 2003, he never really retired; he formed his own consulting business and worked for numerous campaigns for several Illinois candidates; most notably, he worked for former Senator and Leader Bill Brady both at the Illinois Capitol and out on the campaign trail; and

WHEREAS, Dan Egler was the proud father of two daughters, Liz Egler and Melissa Egler; he was equally fond of his bonus daughter, Liz's wife, Sandy Nickel, and he doted on their two sons, Ben, age 15, and Josh, age 13; and

WHEREAS, Dan Egler spent his adult life as an avid and loyal Indiana University sports fan; having traveled as a student to IU's last Rose Bowl appearance in 1968, he was thrilled that their football team was finally competitive again this season; he shared this love of IU sports with his daughter and fellow alum, Melissa; he watched the Hoosiers win the Rose Bowl this past New Year's Day on their road to hopefully winning their first national championship; and

WHEREAS, Dan Egler cheered for and was often disappointed by the Chicago Cubs; he completed several crossword puzzles each day for literal decades, and he enjoyed his annual 4th of July trips to Wisconsin with great friends; he was a voracious reader, and he loved a spirited game of euchre with his kids; in recent years, he thoroughly enjoyed summering by Liz and Sandy's pool; the man had a great tan; and

WHEREAS, Dan Egler was a brilliant writer, a shrewd strategist, a valued friend to many, and a beloved father and grandfather; he will be truly missed, but his legacy will live on in the Illinois State Capitol building and around the State of Illinois for many years to come; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Danny Lee "Dan" Egler 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 Dan Egler as a symbol of our deepest sympathy.