ESSEX — Jerry Joyce, a 17-year Illinois State Senator and a champion for agriculture and outdoor issues throughout the state, died June 19. He was 80.

In addition to his Springfield tenure, Joyce, from Essex in western Kankakee County, served on the Kankakee County Board.

A farmer and a Democrat, Joyce scored a major election upset in the November 1974 election when he defeated Sen. Ed McBroom, a Kankakee resident and Republican political heavyweight, to represent the Illinois 43rd Senate district which included the counties of Kankakee, Iroquois, Grundy, Ford as well as the southwestern portion of Will County.

He served in the state senator from January 1975 through April 1992. When he retired in 1992, he was replaced by his wife, Janet, who served the remainder of his term which concluded in January 1993.

Throughout much of his Springfield tenure, Joyce was the only farmer in the Illinois Senate.

A former Essex Township supervisor, Joyce served on the Kankakee County Board from 1969 to 1974.

Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan called Joyce one of the best representatives of citizens he ever worked with.

“He was a good senator and even though we were of different parties we worked together where we could,” Ryan said. “He represented this area well.”

Known for his love of all issues relating to the outdoors and agriculture, Ryan said Joyce was a leader throughout Springfield on those matters.

“We may not have always agreed on the issues, but we never had cross words for one another. He was a good man who did his job and represented this area well.”

Robert Themer, a retired longtime Daily Journal editor and reporter, called Joyce the greatest elected official he had ever covered.

“There is no one that I’ve covered that I’ve admired as much as Jerry Joyce. He was a tremendous advocate for this region,” he said.

Themer noted the advocacy Joyce had for the Kankakee River, the Kankakee River State Park and outdoor facilities in general.

He said Joyce was also a key figure in converting the former sprawling Manteno State Hospital campus into alternative uses upon its closure at the end of 1985.

Joyce was also a key player in the creation of the 1,017-acre Mazonia/Braidwood State Fish & Wildlife Area in Grundy County.

Themer noted Joyce also helped lead the battle against then-Gov. Jim Thompson in keeping a nuclear waste repository out of the region.

“He was a tremendous advocate for Downstate Illinois. He was a splendid man and a splendid senator. He was extremely valuable to this senate district,” Themer said. “I can’t name another official I’ve covered that I’ve admired as much as him.”

Francis Smith is the president of the Illinois Diversatech Business Park. A  portion of that property was once Manteno State Hospital property, and Smith said Joyce took action to revive the site at a time when the local economy was at its lowest point.

“He worked across the aisle and the jobs here in Manteno were replaced two-fold. Without him, what happened in Manteno would not have taken place,” Smith said.

“He grew up in an era when after people battled through an election, they would then work together. That’s the difference between today and 40 years ago. He was someone who made things happen here. He was a key figure in helping this region turn itself around.”

Will County Executive Larry Walsh, who also served as an Illinois state senator, said there will never be another Jerry Joyce.

“He went down to Springfield and made it clear that agricultural issues were his No. 1 pursuit. … He had a commonsense approach to legislation,” Walsh said. “I was deeply saddened when I learned of his death.”

Walsh noted Joyce was part of the “Crazy 8” group of independent Democratic state senators which formed to provide a greater impact on downstate matters.

The formation of the group led members to gain better committee assignments. Joyce served as vice chair of the Agriculture, Conservation and Energy Committee.

During his tenure, Joyce was a backer of the Illiana Expressway, the I-355 southern extension and the proposed third Chicagoland airport.

In addition to his farming and political careers, Joyce and his late wife raised four children. Joyce loved hunting, fishing, traveling, collecting knives and decoys.

A memorial visitation will be at the R.W. Patterson Funeral Home & Crematory from 2-5 p.m. on July 2. A memorial service will be held at 5 p.m. Inurnment will be private. More details are on Page A5.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in his name may be directed to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.