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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of Robert Allen Magnuson, who passed away
4on January 15, 2023 at the age of 55; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and
6had an early love for history, law, and the connections
7between nations, interests that would guide his academic life
8and career; he was the oldest of five children and was often
9fearless, even going so far as to jump off the roof of his
10garage; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson cared deeply for his family,
12ensuring that even as oil crashed in his home state, his mother
13and younger siblings had enough food on the table to support
14themselves; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson had a knack for athletics,
16playing soccer, baseball, basketball, and football, among
17other sports; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson's athletic prowess earned him a
19variety of opportunities to go to college on a football
20scholarship, including West Point; ultimately, he chose to
21attend Knox College in Galesburg, where he met his wife,

 

 

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1Jacqueline, in their shared international relations class; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson served as president of the
3student senate, played football, and joined the army via the
4ROTC program during his time at college; after graduation, he
5became an infantry officer and continued his education,
6attending law school; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson and Jacqueline got married in her
8hometown of Chicago not long after they both graduated from
9law school; afterward, he received a military posting at Fort
10Benning, Georgia as a member of the JAG Corps and as an officer
11in the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, completing 28 jumps;
12and
 
13    WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson and Jacqueline had their first
14child, their daughter Morgan, a year into their time at Fort
15Benning; 18 months later, they celebrated the birth of their
16first son, Christian; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson and his family's lives were full
18of moves; Jacqueline provided much stability for them during
19this time, first as a stay-at-home mother and later as an at
20home-educator, ensuring that there was a degree of constancy
21to their nomadic lives; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson was deployed to Iraq for 11
2months in 2004; during this time, he helped implement the use
3of JLENS (Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated
4Netted Sensor System), which helped save countless lives; in
5Iraq, he tirelessly held the U.S. government in compliance
6with environmental regulations, never compromising his ethics;
7and
 
8    WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson returned from Iraq with various
9health problems, but he never let them keep him from his family
10and work; he returned to serving his country by joining the
11reserve and holding various legal positions in the Army and
12Department of Defense; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson and Jacqueline moved to Germany,
14where they welcomed their final child, their son Ian, just
15weeks after moving; in Germany, his presence was frequently
16requested at conferences as a subject matter expert; his
17presentations on various international environmental
18regulations are still being used today across NATO and the EU;
19and
 
20    WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson's dedication to his family and
21their dreams was relentless; even as his health continued to
22bring new challenges, he watched Morgan graduate from William
23and Mary with a degree in history, Christian become a software

 

 

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1engineer at Apple, and Ian dive into the rich world of
2mathematics, science, and sports cars; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Robert Magnuson embodied compassion,
4self-sacrifice, and loyalty; to his family and friends, he was
5a source of light and wisdom, which stemmed from his lifelong
6faith and deep knowledge born from experience; with an
7unconditional love for all he met, his memory will be
8treasured deeply by those whose lives he touched; and
 
9    WHEREAS, At the time of his passing, Robert Magnuson was
10survived by his beloved Jacqueline; his three children,
11Morgan, Christian, and Ian; his mother Patricia; and his four
12siblings, Britt, Brian, Leif, and Mark; therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
14ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
15Robert Allen Magnuson and extend our sincere condolences to
16his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
17further
 
18    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19presented to the family of Robert Magnuson as an expression of
20our deepest sympathy.