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* CBS Chicago…
Calling his impact on the state of Illinois “incalculable,” hundreds came to Springfield in Saturday to say their final farewells to former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar.
The funeral service was held at Central Baptist Church in Springfield.
In a world of deep partisanship, Edgar was lauded by his fellow Republicans and also by Democrats as a leader with great integrity.
“I’ve been around politics for 35 years,” former U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood said at the funeral. “Jim Edgar is the gold standard for public service, for honesty, and for integrity.”
Click here to watch the full memorial service.
* The Tribune…
Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, who consulted Edgar for advice, said the former governor’s “values and judgment and service have been a model to follow” and called the former governor “an icon of Illinois.”
“Jim Edgar believed deeply in our individual and our collective responsibility to one another — that regardless of where we live, what we look like or who we voted for, our foremost obligation is to serve one another. That is how he governed,” Pritzker said.
“As governor, Jim was a steady hand and a comforting, calming presence for our state. Through times of crisis, he could walk into a room of people he disagreed with, hold on to his strong views and still listen and learn with a full heart. All of these characteristics, so inherently Illinois, made Jim a force for unity, with a unique ability to bring people together despite their differences. These are lessons that I think all of us could use right now,” he said.
Pritzker added that “earnestness, honesty, unwavering loyalty to the people he served have made Jim Edgar an icon of the great state of Illinois, no matter what party we belong to. His impact is incalculable, and it changed our state for the better.”
Rev. Dr. Kent Lolling of Laurel United Methodist Church, who officiated the memorial ceremony, said Edgar had specifically requested Pritzker offer remarks at his funeral because “he believed it was important to show that bipartisanship still matters, that it still lives in Illinois and in America.”
* WBEZ…
Edgar was known for his willingness to work across the aisle. Edgar, a moderate Republican, supported abortion access while also being a fiscal conservative. Last year, he endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris in her bid for president over Donald Trump.
Felicia Norwood said Edgar never asked her what political party she belonged to. She was brought on as his senior policy adviser at the start of his first gubernatorial term in 1991. Norwood called him “demanding, but very fair.”
“He asked me whether I had a passion for service,” Norwood said. “We worked together for long hours, tackling some of the state’s biggest challenges as a team. We challenged each other.” […]
Several political luminaries attended the Saturday service, including former Gov. Pat Quinn, and Jayne Thompson, the widow of former Gov. Jim Thompson. Also attending were Rep. Nikki Budzinski, a Springfield Democrat, as well as Democratic and Republican leaders from the state Legislature.
* WQAD…
As Illinois mourns the passing of former Gov. Jim Edgar, the program he founded more than a decade ago continues to carry his vision of leadership.
Edgar launched the Edgar Fellows Program in 2012 at the University of Illinois, aiming to strengthen public service through ethics, civility and bipartisan cooperation. Executive Director Janet Mathis said the program was born after Edgar was asked to create a course on government ethics. Instead, he pushed for something broader: a focus on leadership. […]
To date, more than 500 Illinois leaders have completed the program. Alumni include U.S. Reps. Darin LaHood and Nikki Budzinski, along with State Sen. Mike Halpin and Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie. […]
Mathis said Edgar remained closely involved in the program until his final months, often spending the first day of the leadership institute sharing his lessons on compromise and honesty in government. She said the program will continue as a living tribute to his leadership style.
* More…
* NYT | Jim Edgar, 79, Popular Moderate Republican Governor of Illinois, Dies: Perhaps Mr. Edgar’s greatest accomplishment was grappling with a budget deficit of almost $1 billion, the largest in the state’s history, which he inherited on assuming office in 1991. Saying the state’s finances couldn’t tolerate a repeal of a temporary income tax increase, he instead made it permanent. Angering Democrats, he called for cuts in social spending and in the state work force, among other budget-trimming moves, in an effort to preserve funding for education. The speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, Mike Madigan, a Democrat, wasn’t having it. Mr. Edgar eventually won over Mr. Madigan. “By the end of the session, when we were in overtime, about every day he’d be down in my office, and we’d have lunch together,” Mr. Edgar recalled to Illinois Public Media in 2015. “We knew we were going to have to compromise.”
* ABC Chicago | Former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar laid to rest following funeral services: His son and daughter spoke at the service, quoting the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life.” Edgar’s son said that “in true Jim Edgar style” they were giving him the last word, and a video played in which the former governor reflected on his life, saying he had “a good run.”
* NBC Chicago | Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar laid to rest Saturday: “It is with heavy hearts we share the news that our beloved husband, father and grandfather Jim Edgar passed away this morning in Springfield from complications related to treatment for pancreatic cancer,” a family statement read Sunday. “We are deeply grateful for the love, support and kindness so many have shown to Jim and our family over these last several months.”
* Alton Telegraph | Remembering Jim Edgar’s Alton bookstore visits after his death at 79: “On Dec. 23,” the letter began, “my book shop, The Second Reading, hosted a most distinguished patron, Gov. Jim Edgar. A private helicopter landed the governor in Riverfront Park, where a waiting car brought him to my place. As though a visit from our state’s chief executive wasn’t extraordinary enough, Edgar even purchased some books, including a collector’s quality first edition about the 1916 Irish Easter Sunday Uprising.” After so many years, I don’t recall if “Easter Sunday” is my fault or that of the editor. The 1916 Irish uprising occurred on Easter Monday — the day following Easter. This event heralded the beginning of Ireland’s struggle for independence from Great Britain. “I might add,” my letter continued, “that, a bit later, he also visited Books and Co., where, I have been informed, he purchased yet more books.”
* SJ-R | With a clear-eyed approach, Edgar had a governance style ‘you just don’t see anymore’: Longtime State Journal-Register political writer and columnist Bernard Schoenburg recalled spending a day with Gov. Jim Edgar during his 1994 campaign. As they were flying from Chicago to southern Illinois, Schoenburg recalled that Edgar was pointing to different counties, breaking down the percentages of Democrats and Republicans in each and ticking off who the county chairpersons were.
* Tribune | Photos: Former Gov. Jim Edgar funeral service held after lying in state
posted by Isabel Miller
Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 9:53 am
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The example for other future governors to follow. Our state was better for it.
Comment by Levois Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 10:49 am
In 1992, I was working for IDOT on a resurfacing project. I remember that Governor Edgar wasn’t very well liked by the contractor, being nicknamed as “Governor Hatchet”.
That being said, Mr. Edgar served with honor and was respected by many. RIP.
Comment by Huh? Monday, Sep 22, 25 @ 11:39 am