Sun-Times file
Corinne Wood, Illinois’ first female lieutenant governor, died Tuesday after a long battle with breast cancer.
Wood, 66, served as lieutenant governor from 1999 to 2003 in the administration of Gov. George Ryan.
“Surrounded by her immediate family, she died peacefully from complications related to her 15-year struggle with metastatic breast cancer,” her family said in a statement.
Current Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton said Wednesday in a tweet, “She paved the way for women like me to serve in this role.”
The Illinois Republican Party, in a tweet offering condolences to Wood’s family, called her a “trailblazer” and “a brave woman who battled cancer for many years and used her time in public office to champion women’s health.”