HR0490 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0490 LRB098 12635 GRL 47067 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Illinois Supreme Court Justice John L. Nickels of Sugar Grove; and

WHEREAS, Justice John Nickels was born on January 16, 1931, in Aurora; his parents were Philip and Gertrude Nickels; and

WHEREAS, Justice John Nickels grew up in Sugar Grove, where he spent his early educational years in a one-room school house with 14 other students; and

WHEREAS, Justice John Nickels attended and graduated from Marmion Military Academy; he subsequently continued his education at Northern Illinois University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business, and Northwestern University, where he studied trust administration; and

WHEREAS, Justice John Nickels earned his Juris Doctorate from DePaul University before graduating from the National Judicial College; and

WHEREAS, In 1954, Justice John Nickels entered the United States Army, where he supported his brothers in arms overseas by working in aircraft maintenance; he also trained for work in control towers while being stationed in both Texas and Louisiana; and

WHEREAS, After being honorably discharged in 1956, Justice John Nickels married Merita Smith at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Batavia on June 22, 1957; and

WHEREAS, Justice John Nickels and his wife began their new life in DeKalb, where he attended Northern Illinois University until they moved to Chicago during his law school years; while Justice Nickels established his practice, he called Batavia home, although he eventually settled in Maple Park; and

WHEREAS, Justice John Nickels was a man who never stopped learning; his iron-clad work ethic was forged on the farm, tending both his fields and livestock; Justice Nickels always strove to be the best, no matter his station in life, and adapted those bedrock values to catapult from a trial lawyer to senior partner in his own firm, where he practiced in DeKalb, Kane, and Kendall Counties; and

WHEREAS, Justice John Nickels rose to the challenge of becoming a Circuit Court Judge in 1982 and an Appellate Court Judge in 1990; he eventually retired as a Justice on the Illinois Supreme Court in 1998; and

WHEREAS, Justice John Nickels heard and participated in 820 cases; he authored 95 majority opinions, 45 dissenting opinions, and 10 special concurring opinions during his time on the Illinois Supreme Court; and

WHEREAS, During the 1990s, Justice John Nickels acted as the Supreme Court liaison to the Lawyers Trust Fund, where he worked to increase access to justice for low-income citizens and find funding for legal aid programs throughout Illinois; and

WHEREAS, One of the majority opinions Justice John Nickels authored struck down Chicago's gang loitering ordinance as unconstitutional; the case was heard by the United States Supreme Court, which upheld Justice Nickels' decision; and

WHEREAS, Through all of Justice John Nickels' accomplishments and accolades, he was forever a farmer at heart; his roots ran deep into the hills and valleys of the countryside and he was never happier than when he was surrounded by his loving family; and

WHEREAS, Justice John Nickels will be dearly missed by his loving wife, Merita; his children, Mary (James) Himic, Jacqueline (David) Beane, Margaret (Kenneth) Mangers, Lisa (Joseph) Edmeier, Philip (Sara) Nickels, Ruth Anne (Jean-Baptiste) Philippot, and Gertrude (Peter) Filipos; his 23 grandchildren; his great-grandson; his sisters, Jean Morris and Phyllis Nickels; and his many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family, friends, and the citizens of Illinois, the passing of Justice John L. Nickels; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Justice John Nickels as a symbol of our sympathy.