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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of John P. Meyer of Danville, who passed
4away on October 31, 2013; and
 
5    WHEREAS, John Meyer was born on August 17, 1920; his
6parents were Frank P. and Frances Clare (nee Brady) Meyer; he
7married Barbara (nee Martin) Cullen in 1942; he married Mertyce
8(nee Erickson) Fagot in 1969; and
 
9    WHEREAS, John Meyer attended Washington Grade School and
10St. Patrick's Grade School before graduating from Danville High
11School in 1937; he subsequently attended the University of
12Notre Dame, where he earned a bachelor of science in commerce
13and a doctor of laws degree from the Notre Dame Law School; and
 
14    WHEREAS, John Meyer served with the 14th Armored Division
15(The Liberators) as an Artillery Forward Observer during World
16War II; he was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action;
17he was discharged in 1946 at the rank of captain; following his
18discharge, he served as adjutant general of the 14th Armored
19Division; and
 
20    WHEREAS, After being admitted to the Illinois Bar, John
21Meyer practiced law in the Vermilion, Sangamon, and Cook County

 

 

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1areas for more than 55 years until his retirement in 2003;
2after practicing in the firm of Burke, Twomey, and Johnson, he
3started a partnership with Henry Wise and Thomas Graham; the
4firm later added Charles Young, Daniel Welsh, and Paul Maton to
5become Graham, Wise, Meyer, Young, Welsh, and Maton; he was
6later admitted to practice before the United States Supreme
7Court and won an important antitrust case before the Court;
8after retiring, he officed with his son, Chris, in the law firm
9named Dukes, Ryan, Meyer and Freed, Ltd.; he also served as
10first assistant attorney general for the State of Illinois; and
 
11    WHEREAS, John Meyer was elected to and served in the
12Illinois House of Representatives and Illinois Senate; while in
13the House and Senate, he introduced and passed legislation
14creating a public defender's office for downstate Illinois and
15was an architect of the Fair Employment Practices Act; he
16served as chairman of the Legislative Commission on Narcotic
17Drugs and introduced and passed legislation creating State
18funding of Illinois Community Colleges, including Danville
19Area Community College; he also served as a judge of the
20circuit court for the Fifth Judicial Circuit; and
 
21    WHEREAS, John Meyer was the recipient of the Thomas J.
22Crowe Interracial Justice Award; he was also chosen as a First
23Citizen of Danville in 1987; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, John Meyer was an active member of his community;
2he participated in youth football, the Museum Society, the
3United Way, the Schlarman Foundation, the Danville Dans, and
4his pet project, The Christian Home for Youth, which assisted
5in the rehabilitation of juveniles who came before the Juvenile
6Court; he was also a member of St. Paul's Church, the American
7Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars,
8the Elks Club, the Danville Country Club, the Illinois Judges
9Association, and the Vermilion County and American Bar
10Associations; and
 
11    WHEREAS, John Meyer and his wife purchased, sold, and raced
12thoroughbred horses, some of whom were winners of races in
13Florida, Kentucky, and Illinois; he was also the author of the
14popular book, "Observations of an Elderly Gentleman"; and
 
15    WHEREAS, John Meyer is survived by his children, John P.
16(Toni) Meyer, Jr., Marilyn (Rudy) Manfredi, Elizabeth
17(Russell) Elam, Michael Meyer, Melinda (David) Jankowski, and
18Christopher P. (Susan) Meyer; his stepson, Robert "Rob" (Kathy)
19Fagot; his 11 grandchildren; his 13 great-grandchildren; and 7
20step-grandchildren; therefore, be it
 
21    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL
22ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his
23family and friends, mourn the passing of John P. Meyer; and be

 

 

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1it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
3presented to the family of John Meyer as an expression of our
4sympathy.