Statement on the Passing of Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie

The League of Women Voters of Chicago mourns the loss of Barbara Flynn Currie, a trailblazing public servant, a devoted Leaguer, and one of the finest models of democratic leadership Illinois has known. Over the course of her 40 years of service in the Illinois House, including more than two decades as majority leader, she changed the face of our state, becoming the first woman to hold the leader’s post and helping to shape landmark advances in transparency, civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and public education.

For the League, this loss is personal. Barbara served as vice president of the League of Women Voters of Chicago and remained connected to the League across the decades, serving as a keynote speaker at our centennial celebration, where she said the League is the “organization that helped me develop my interests and my skills in figuring out public policy.” She brought to public life a rare blend of intellect, steadiness, wit, and grace, and she opened doors for generations of women, then helped hold those doors open.

We extend our deepest condolences to her family, her friends, and the many people across Chicago and Illinois who learned from her example. Our city and state are better, and our democracy is stronger, thanks to Barbara Flynn Currie. May her memory be a blessing.

Left: LWV Chicago President Jane Ruby with Barbara Flynn Currie, 2018
Right: Barbara Flynn Currie, 1980. | Sun-Times file photo