Suburban leaders remember Nancy Reagan as tough, influential

The state of Illinois had a special place in the heart of Nancy Reagan, Arlington Heights resident Ed Murnane said Sunday after learning of the former first lady's death.

She was tough, influential and protective of her husband, for whom Murnane served as communications coordinator for five Midwest states.

And though friendly to everyone, she wasn't one to warm up to people easily.

“She was an Illinois girl,” said Murnane, who also coordinated the Reagans' travel plans and traveled alongside them. “It was a special place for her to be.”

Like former President Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan grew up in Illinois. She moved to Chicago as a child and attended the Chicago Latin School for Girls.

Murnane, the longtime head of the Illinois Civil Justice League, said Nancy Reagan would ask him about local happenings and comment on Chicago weather. She hated the cold winters, he said, but still loved visiting.

Elgin resident Don Totten, a former state senator who worked under Ronald Reagan for nearly a decade, called Nancy Reagan “a gracious lady and a real icon.”

“It'll be a tearful ceremony at the Reagan Library,” he said of upcoming memorial services. “That's where she wants to be — by his side.”

During an appearance in Arlington Heights and later in a written statement, Gov. Bruce Rauner extended his sympathies to Reagan's family, saying she spent her entire life trying to help others.

“As our first lady, Nancy Reagan will be remembered for her unwavering support of our country and as a pillar of strength to one of our nation's greatest presidents,” he said.

Totten, who ran Ronald Reagan's Midwest campaigns in 1976 and 1980, said he got along well with the president and his first lady, who were almost always together.

“They were very close and very much in love,” he said. “She was influential in a lot of his decisions and, I think, ameliorated some of his stances. She was supportive of everything he did, no matter whether she agreed or not.”

When traveling with the Reagans, Totten said, conversations were casual and genuine. Nancy Reagan invited Totten and his wife to a state dinner, he said, and he was in her “good graces.”

“But if you weren't, you better watch out,” he said. “She could be very vivacious, and she could be very tough.”

The Reagans had a strong commitment to the country and formed “one of the most inspiring partnerships in American history,” U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam, a Wheaton Republican, said in a statement.

“The passing of Nancy Reagan represents the end of an era,” he said. “It's up to us, the next generation of conservative leaders, to carry the torch forward in a manner that would make her proud.”

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider also issued a statement expressing condolences to the Reagan family.

“With grace and charm, Nancy Reagan represented the best of America and captured the spirit of this great country,” he said. “She will go down in history as a woman who, alongside her loving husband, helped steer our nation through many difficult days.”