Vince Demuzio was an Illinois State Senator who died while in office. At the time, he was the most senior member of the Illinois Senate. He had once been chair of the Illinois Democratic Party.

Demuzio died after a battle with colon cancer which included surgery in early 2004. Demuzio resided in Carlinville, Illinois

Carlinville, Illinois

Carlinville is a city in Macoupin County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the population was 5,685, and 5,912 at a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Macoupin County, and so it is an outlying part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St...

, and after his death, his seat was filled by wife Deanna Demuzio

Deanna Demuzio

Deanna Demuzio is a Democratic member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 49th District since she was appointed in May 2004 after the death of her husband, Senate Majority Leader Vince Demuzio....

. A section of I-55 south of Springfield, Illinois is named after him.

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich

Rod Blagojevich

Rod R. Blagojevich is an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. A Democrat, Blagojevich was a State Representative before being elected to the United States House of Representatives representing parts of Chicago...

 was late to Demuzio's funeral, so in his stead Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn

Pat Quinn (politician)

Patrick Joseph "Pat" Quinn III is the 41st and current Governor of Illinois. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Previously elected three times to statewide office, Quinn was the sitting lieutenant governor and became governor on January 29, 2009, when the previous governor, Rod Blagojevich,...

 presented a flag

Flag

A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...

to Deanna Demuzio.