By Jared L. Olar
Local History Program Coordinator
Last week we saw that after the elder Judge Reardon passed away in 1941, his widow Marie continued to own and live in the house at 405 Willow St. until her death in 1967. Her children Mary Ann and Judge Reardon Jr. then sold the house to Eugene V. “Gene” Marshall.
Next week we will conclude this series with an account of Gene Marshall and his family, but this week we will turn our attention to the younger Judge Reardon.
As we have seen, the Reardon family had experienced the sorrowful loss of Danny Reardon, second child of William and Marie Reardon, in 1932. Mary, the eldest, died in 1998. The last surviving member of the Reardon family to live at 405 Willow St. was Judge William J. Reardon Jr., who died in 2007.
Although it is hardly rare for people to die at home – and that was even more common in the past – in researching the history of 405 Willow St. I have not been able to confirm whether anyone died in this house. It is certain that no members of the Reardon family died here. Both Danny Reardon and his father died at St. Francis Hospital in Peoria, while Marie Reardon died at Pekin Memorial Hospital. As we shall see, the younger Judge Reardon died in 2007 at his home in Country Club Estates.
The Peoria Journal Star ran the following formal obituary for Judge Reardon on 22 Nov. 2007:
The Honorable William J. Reardon, 85, of 335D Country Club Drive, passed away at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2007, at his residence.
He was born July 15, 1922, at the Pekin Public Hospital to William J. Sr. and Marie E. (Albertsen) Reardon. His parents preceded him in death.
He also was preceded in death by one brother, Daniel Reardon; one sister, Mary Anne VonDerHeide; and one nephew, Peter Reardon Simpson.
Surviving are three nieces, Barbara Elizabeth (Steven) Sampson of Mound, Minn., Jane Turner of St. Paul, Minn., and Anne Marie Turner of San Francisco, Calif.; and two nephews, Vincent William (Beverly) Turner of Ivanhoe, Minn., and Michael Carrington Simpson of Fayetteville, N.C.
He was an Army veteran of World War II and the Korean War, serving overseas in both wars and attaining the rank of Captain.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a Juris Doctor Degree from the College of Law, both at the University of Illinois.
He was a lawyer in Pekin for 17 years. In April of 1965 he was appointed an Associate Judge of the Tenth Judicial Circuit and served in that capacity for 28 years, retiring July 1, 1993. He was recalled to the bench as an Associate Circuit Judge for parts of 1994 and 1995. In 2000 he was recalled as the Resident Circuit Judge of Tazewell County, serving in that capacity for five months.
He was a member of the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Tazewell County Bar Association, the Peoria Bar Association and the American Judicature Society. He also was a faithful member of Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Pekin and the Pekin Country Club.
Private burial will be in the Reardon family plot at Lakeside Cemetery in Pekin.
Besides the Journal Star obituary, of course, the Pekin Daily Times also reported on Judge Reardon’s passing – devoting two extended news articles to an account of his life and offering tribute to his memory from many of the people who knew him and worked with him over the decades. Those articles, both by Times staff writer Sharon Woods Harris, are reproduced here below:
By any nickname, he’ll be missed
PEKIN – The first case that retired Judge J. Peter Ault ever tried in front of Judge William Reardon was a small claims case, one which he won with a little help.
“I knew he let me go at my own speed – one step at a time, which is what I needed to do at that time,” said Ault. “I guess the thing that impressed me from the very start was how he cared about what he was doing.
“He truly loved being an attorney and specifically a judge. He loved being a judge, but one time he told me that his best time was when he was a public defender defending indigents. Most people will probably never know how much Bill did for the community. He was a very generous man who cared about causes and helped very quietly.”
Former 10th Judicial Circuit Judge William Reardon, 85, died sometime between Monday evening and Tuesday morning. He was found dead in the back yard of his Pekin home.
Tazewell County Coroner Dennis Conover said an autopsy will be conducted today.
Ault said the last several times he talked to his old friend, Reardon said he would not be around for Christmas.
Reardon never married or had children. His only known relative is a niece out of state.
Reardon visited with friends as usual the week prior to his death, last being seen at Yesterday’s Bar & Grill Monday evening where he was reported to be acting like his normal self and was very upbeat, said Conover.
Conover said he knew Reardon when Conover served as a police officer in Marquette Heights and Pekin.
“He tried many cases I was involved in while I was in uniform and he was always fair,” said Conover.
Reardon had a long and successful life and career. He was appointed judge in 1965 and retired in 1993. He was recalled to the bench in April 1994 to fill in for another judge until May of 1994. Again he was recalled to the bench as a replacement judge from February to July 1995.
Reardon served as a circuit judge from July to December 2000 after Judge John Gorman was appointed to the federal court.
In 1995, Reardon was appointed by Judge Donald Courson to perform weddings in Tazewell County every Friday. From July 4, 1995, to Oct. 26 of this year. Reardon performed 2,288 marriages. On Valentine’s Day 1997, he married 20 couples at the courthouse, said Arvella Guidotti, court administrator. He also approved numerous adoptions.
Judge John Gorman said Reardon served in both World War II and the Korean War. In WW II, he served as an officer. In Korea, he served as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer because he had recently become a lawyer. Reardon was proud of his JAG service, said Gorman.
In his many years of service, Reardon touched a lot of hearts.Gorman said the late judge visited his family frequently and talked to his children. Reardon was very pleased when Gorman’s daughter was appointed as a judge.
Reardon was always fair on the bench, said Gorman.
“No one was ever short-changed when Bill was on the bench,” he said.
Tazewell County Judge Tim Lucas said he was hired by the state’s attorney’s office in 1981. He was assigned to Judge Reardon’s traffic court.
“He was as fair a man as I ever met as far as justice was concerned,” said Lucas. “He really had a hard time sending people to punishment.”
Lucas said during Reardon’s early career as a judge, people were sentenced to jail or the penal farm in Vandalia.
“He didn’t enjoy doing it, but if the person had exhausted all his chances, he did it,” said Lucas.
When Reardon felt the state did not prove its case but felt there was merit to the charges, he would pronounce the case not proven rather than the defendant not guilty, said Lucas.“In other words, he knew something was there but the state didn’t prove it beyond a reasonable doubt,” said Lucas.
Lucas said the lawyers used to laugh because the arraignment took longer than the sentencing. “No one was ever sold short on knowing their rights with Judge Reardon,” he said. “He is going to be sorely missed for all the things he did in this courthouse and in this community.”
Chief Bailiff Jim McMullin met Reardon 25 years ago when his son was in trouble with the law. Reardon was the judge and former Judge J. Peter Ault was the defense attorney. Once McMullin started as a bailiff, he really got to know Reardon.“He was a very talented man,” said McMullin. “He was very well read.”
Judge Stephen Kouri said his relationship with Reardon was not as close as some other judges, but he remembers facing Reardon as a defense attorney.
“He was a unique judge in that procedures were to be followed,” said Kouri. “You didn’t fear going in there because you knew he was going to be fair – that he was going to be very articulate and you were going to understand what the procedures were going to be in his courtroom.
“So, you know, there were no surprises there . . . . I really wonder how many consecutive years he’s been in the courtroom with a robe on. Probably more than anybody that I can think of. He’s been an institution here – there’s no doubt about that.
“You know, the public probably can’t name too many judges. I think it was a compliment to him that in these parts when they asked someone to name a judge they probably named Judge Reardon, or his name would pop up as much as anyone else. And it wouldn’t be a negative way – it would be in a positive way and with respect.”Judge Richard McCoy was also a practicing attorney while Reardon was on the bench.
“Whether you talk about him as a judge or a person, he was just a wonderful guy,” said McCoy. “He knows more minutiae than anyone I ever met in my life.
“He was always glad to fill in all the details and we were always glad to hear them. He was a good judge. His father was a judge. I’m really going to miss the guy. He was just a wonderful guy. He never married. We were his family.”
Tazewell County State’s Attorney Stewart Umholtz said Reardon never gave up his love of the law.
“I have a great amount of respect for him,” said Umholtz. “He was one of the most dedicated (people) that I have met around the courthouse.
“He was here day and night it seems like and he will be greatly missed . . . . During these past few years, you would think perhaps he wasn’t keeping up on what was going on. But he would call me and always have something very pertinent, intelligent and useful to tell me about an issue that we were working with. He called me several times over the years and would always remark to me, ‘You know that quote you have out there on your office window – I agree with that so much and I’m so glad to see that you put that out there.”
On Umholtz’s window reads the words, “A prosecutor’s job is to seek justice and not merely convict.”
“I think he was one of those judges who truly made certain that justice was done in his courtroom,” said Umholtz.
Judge Reardon shows humorous side
PEKIN – When Tazewell County State’s Attorney Stewart Umholtz was a young man he worked as a lifeguard at Twin Lakes – a former North Pekin beach where families would go to swim on Illinois Route 29.
It was on the coldest days of the season that Umholtz and his fellow lifeguards would see William Reardon – a man who liked to stay healthy and was a little ornery as well.
Reardon knew young Umholtz from high school swim meets because he would come to watch the swim competitions.
“I really got to know him when I was a lifeguard at Twin Lakes,” said Umholtz. “He would come out on the coldest days and we would have to swim out to the lifeguard seats – they were in the middle of the lake.
“Every now and then he would swim by and ask if we were comfortable or if it was warm enough for us. I thought to much of Judge Reardon that when I was elected State’s Attorney I wanted him to render the oath of office.”
Judge Reardon died sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning at his home in Country Club Estates.Members of the bench and others recounted Tuesday their fond memories of “Sweet Ole Bill,” as he was nicknamed.
Reardon took Tazewell County Circuit Court Clerk Pam Gardner by surprise one day at the Tazewell County Courthouse. Gardner took the oath of office in December 1998. Judge Reardon was serving as a Tazewell County judge. Her first encounter with the judge was a bit unnerving for Gardner.
“When I took office I started coming in on the weekends because there was a lot to do and a lot to learn,” said Gardner. “The very first Saturday after I was sworn in I came into the courthouse.
“This building is kind of spooky and dark when no one is here. You can hear a pin drop. I came up the first flight of stairs and had my key out to go into my office. When I got to the top of the stairs I heard the elevator kick on. I ran from the stairs along the banister and tried to get my key in the door.
“The elevator opened and Judge Reardon stepped out. I said, “Oh, Judge Reardon – I thought you were the courthouse ghost and going to kill me.”
Reardon told her he spent a lot of time at the courthouse on the weekend reviewing small claims cases for Monday. It turned out Reardon wanted a key to her office so he could pull the files on cases he would be involved with on Mondays.Gardner gave him the key and he was “just delighted,” she said.
Gardner always referred to Reardon as “Judge Reardon” or “Your Honor” when she encountered him. One day he corrected her.
“He said I could call him SOB,” said Gardner. “I was stunned and said that out of respect I couldn’t call him that.“Then he told me it stood for Sweet Ole Bill.”
Gardner’s daughter later asked Reardon to conduct her wedding at the Sunken Gardens in Mineral Springs Park. When the limousine pulled up with the maid of honor, the flower girl, the bride and Gardner, all of the guests and Reardon were waiting in the park.
“Before we could ever get out of the limo Judge Reardon came up the hill, knocked on the window, told my daughter to scoot over and got in and sat down. Everyone was waiting for us and he was telling us stories. He finally said we better get out and get on with this.”
Retired Judge John Gorman told of another fond and funny memory of Reardon. Reardon was also known by the nickname of Beans.
Reardon was an avid baseball fan and in the 1930s there was a Major League Baseball player named John Reardon who was called Beans for one reason or another.One of the judges said, “If you’re going to call balls and strikes in the courthouse, we’ll call you Beans,” said Gorman.
Gorman remembers Reardon as a man of high principle who just happened to be a judge for the pornography case against the owner of the Delavan Drive-In.
“Bill was very strait-laced,” said Gorman. “The case was about porn movies they were showing at the theater.
“He had to show that stuff to the jury so they could make a determination in the case. Bill was a gentleman. He was not a fan of the movie shown in his courtroom.”
Reardon liked to tell stories. One of his favorites was about the time he was a judge in a drug case against the members of the rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock. The band called in a big attorney from California – Melvin Belli.
“Bill enjoyed letting people known he was the presiding judge in the Strawberry Alarm Clock case,” said Lucas.
Judge J. Peter Ault said he remembers the gaudy sport coats Reardon would buy to stun people at the Tazewell County Bar Association meetings. Ault said Reardon enjoyed the reaction of the crowd to the jackets.
Ault also remembers Reardon’s happy go lucky nature.
“When Bill was younger he loved to play golf every Monday at the country club in bare feet,” said Ault. “You would see him coming over the hill pulling his cart barefooted.”
Lucas said the funny times were great with Reardon – no matter what name you called him by.
“Beans, Sweet Ole Bill, Judge – I called him friend,” said Lucas. “He will be very missed.”
From the History Room 