Gerald D. Fines 1940 - 2022

Gerald D. Fines 82 of Springfield, died at 7:30 am, Monday, February 14, 2022. He was born January 26, 1940 to Azzle and Lelia (Arkebauer) Fines in Taylorville. He is preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Donald Fines and one sister, Dorothea (Fines) Robertson.

Gerald graduated from Taylorville High School in 1958 and worked as a laborer in factories and farms before and after joining the United States Army in 1958. He earned a B.S. and M.S. in Business from Eastern Illinois University in 1965 and 1967 respectively, and a J.D. in Law from the University of Kentucky in 1970.

He taught high school and college for several years before being recommended in 1970 by Judge Harlington Wood to work with the U.S. Attorneys at the Department of Justice in Washington D.C.. In 1977 President Jimmy Carter appointed him U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois on the recommendation of Senator Adlai Stevenson, and in 1992 President Ronald Reagan appointed him as U.S Attorney on the recommendation of Senator Charles Percy. Gerald was appointed as a Federal Bankruptcy Judge in 1987 and retired in 2014.

Gerald is survived by six grandchildren, one son, Erik (Meghen) Fines and two daughters, Irene Kharseeva (husband Robert Nelson) and Lisa (Fines) (former husband Mike) Rowden. Gerald married Olga in 1995 and she survives.