* Sun-Times…

Jim Reilly, a downstate Illinois lawmaker who became chief of staff to two governors and headed agencies that oversaw mass transit in the Chicago area, state construction projects and the operations of McCormick Place and Navy Pier, has died at 77.

He died of pneumonia Monday at the St. Joseph Village assisted living facility in Chicago, where he had been recovering from a fall, according to Steve Schlickman, a friend who was executive director of the Regional Transportation Agency during Mr. Reilly’s 2005-2010 tenure as chairman of the RTA board.

Schlickman credited Mr. Reilly with steering that agency through a period when it faced a $400 million yearly shortfall.

“As chairman of the RTA, he did more for transit than any other chairman of that organization that I’m aware of for the last 42 years,” Schlickman said. “He helped secure a [state] funding initiative that avoided huge cuts in service and fare increases in 2008.”

* Tribune…

A Springfield native, Reilly graduated from the University of Chicago Law School and worked for the downstate city of Jacksonville before he became a state representative in 1977. Before serving in the Illinois House, Reilly also taught grade school in Winchester, Illinois.

He was chief of staff to former Republican Gov. Jim Thompson, and returned to the same role during Gov. Jim Edgar’s reelection campaign. […]

As Edgar recovered from emergency quadruple-bypass heart surgery, Reilly was “a familiar and respected stand-in for the governor,” the Tribune reported in 1994. The Tribune described Reilly as “an administrator with a well-known contempt for inertia.” […]

Between those stints, Reilly headed the city’s convention and tourism bureau. Later, he was chairman of the RTA board as the region’s transportation agencies sought to avoid financial doomsday. He helped avoid the worst-case scenario, and worked to plug a huge CTA pension shortfall, said Steve Schlickman, who was executive director of RTA at the time.

“He was a guy that was so nonpartisan in that position,” Schlickman said. “He worked so easily with both sides of the aisle, and he had great relationships with Democratic leadership as well as the Republican.”

* Crain’s…

“Jim Reilly was, I think, the most significant (Illinois) individual in the last 30 years, maybe 40, who wasn’t elected,” says former Gov. Jim Edgar, for whom Reilly worked as chief of staff 1994-95. “He could walk with and get things done with Democrats and Republicans.” […]

“He was one of a kind. There weren’t many like him,” says former state Rep. Judy Erwin, D-Chicago, who got to know Reilly when she was press aide to then-Illinois Senate President Phil Rock and continued to interact with him through her days as chair of the Illinois Board of Higher Education. “It’s sort of a bygone era.” […]

“We both went into the (Illinois) House at the same time,” recalls Edgar. That experience moved Edgar into the higher office, as secretary of state and later as governor. It also brought Reilly, a self-described Rockefeller Republican, to the attention of Gov. Jim Thompson, a big-ideas type with a knack for finding top talent. Thompson made Reilly his counsel and then chief of staff.

* Marilynn Gardner, Navy Pier President & CEO…

“Navy Pier is saddened to learn of the passing of Jim Reilly, Life Trustee of Navy Pier, former Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), RTA and Chicago Convention Chief. Jim played an extremely significant role in the redevelopment and philanthropic support of Navy Pier. He worked alongside our Board of Directors and countless Pier staff members to advance our mission as a welcoming, inclusive, nonprofit cultural institution for all.”

“Jim was an amazing leader and colleague, and, most importantly, friend to us all at the Pier. We cherish his vision for Navy Pier and promise to uphold his legacy by keeping our destination exciting, accepting and available for everyone to experience. His contributions to Navy Pier will truly never be forgotten.”

* From his official obituary…

His interests were many and varied, but first and foremost, he considered the highlight of his life to be his love and affection for his wife of 30 years, M. Veronica Lynch. They were true companions and best friends.

Trains, both real and model, were among his many favorite pastime passions, highlighted by showcasing his train network for his many nieces and nephews during the holiday gatherings. They, and all who knew him, enjoyed his quick wit and easy smile.

The Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra reflected his appreciation and passion for music, surpassed only by his commitment and dedication to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. In the sports world, as a true Chicagoan, the Chicago Bears and Chicago Bulls were his rooting interests, although his years spent in downstate Illinois led to the St. Louis Cardinals becoming his favorite baseball team.

Jim’s sense of adventure found him traveling extensively, both overseas and throughout the United States. His visits to Europe were frequent and he enjoyed calling the British Island of Tortola a second home. Favorite destinations were many, but he particularly appreciated Vienna, Taiwan, Venice, Kenya, and Paris.

Numerous charities were recipients of Jim’s generous support. Navy Pier, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Mercy Hospital, the Illinois Institute of Technology, Choose Chicago, the Boards of the Jacksonville Area Association of Citizens with Intellectual Disability, the Jacksonville Theater Guild, Illinois College, the Edgar Fellows Program and Chicago’s culture and arts community were among the organizations benefiting from his guidance.

The man loved his state and did a lot of good along the way. He was Illinois’ go-to guy and there will never be another like him.

…Adding… Illinois Council of Convention & Visitor Bureaus…

Jim Reilly understood the powerful connection between tourism and economic growth and prosperity for Illinois, serving as a visionary for the Illinois convention and tourism industry. His legacy will guide our state’s second largest industry for generations to come. Our thoughts are with his family and everyone who was lucky to call him a friend and a colleague.