SR0129 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0129 LRB104 12481 MST 22819 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of George Millard Burrier Jr. of Morton, who passed away on February 17, 2025; and

WHEREAS, George Burrier was born in Chicago to George M. Sr. and Elizabeth (Griggs) Burrier on June 12, 1943; he attended Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania for his final two years of high school and then Muskingum College in Ohio for two years; he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in January of 1967 from Northern Illinois University; he started law school at John Marshall Law School in Chicago and received his draft notice while finishing his second semester; he married Sandra Stetzler in Morton at the Presbyterian Church on July 14, 1973; and

WHEREAS, George Burrier enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a Chaplin's Assistant; while there he was awarded the Air Medal Army Commendation Medal for Service, the Army Commendation Medal for Achievement, the Certificate of Achievement from USARV Headquarters, and the Vietnam Combat Medal; he returned from Vietnam and went to work for Pullman, Inc. in downtown Chicago; he transferred to the Illinois Institute of Technology - Kent College of Law and attended night school and earned his J.D. in 1973; and

WHEREAS, George Burrier worked for several law firms in the Peoria area during his career before opening his own law practice in East Peoria in 1997; he supported the development of the Morton to East Peoria bike trail, which he used several times a week to peddle his bicycle from his home in Morton to his law practice in East Peoria; and

WHEREAS, George Burrier was the president of the Friends of the Rock Island, Inc. from 1986 to 2015; he was involved in the development of the Rock Island Trail State Park and restoring the historic CB&Q Railroad Depot in Wyoming; as a result of his nearly three decades of leadership, he was recognized as the leading non-governmental spokesperson for recreational trails in the area, earning the nickname, "Mr. Trails"; and

WHEREAS, George Burrier received the Landen Memorial Volunteer Service Award from the Peoria Park District and the Conservationist of the Year Award from the Heart of Illinois Sierra Club; he traveled to Washington D.C. on October 1, 2011 and was awarded the Doppler Family Rail-Trail Champions Award by the then-current Secretary of Transportation and Peoria's own Ray La Hood; and

WHEREAS, George Burrier's other involvements and leadership over the years included being a member of the National Rails to Trails Conservancy, co-founder and director of the Illinois Chapter of Rails to Trails Conservancy, president of Recreational Trail Advocates, a member of Tri-County Regional Planning Commission-Greenways & Trails Taskforce, and president of the Mackinaw Canoe Club; his love of volunteering lead him to serve for many years at Wildlife Prairie State Park and the Midwest Food Bank; he took two trips to Mississippi to help Hurricane Katrina victims rebuild their homes and also helped Habitat for Humanity with five home rebuild projects in Peoria; and

WHEREAS, George Burrier and his family enjoyed camping, canoeing, whitewater rafting, and bicycling in Midwestern states and the east coast; he and his wife completed their goal of bicycling in all 50 states and eventually 10 other countries; and

WHEREAS, George Burrier was preceded in death by his parents; his stepmother, Jay Burrier; and his son-in-law, Aaron Schneblin; and

WHEREAS, George Burrier is survived by his wife, Sandra Burrier; his daughters, Ranell Burrier and Gwendolen (Michael) Kic; his granddaughters, Madison (Mitchell) Handt and Mollie Kic; his stepgrandson, Joel Schneblin; his sisters, Victoria (Gary) Burrier Maratta and Joy Love; and several nieces and nephews; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of George Millard Burrier Jr. and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of George Burrier as an expression of our deepest sympathy.