Ralph D. Glenn, 88, of Mattoon, died Friday, April 6, 2018, at the Harmony Center in Mattoon.

He was born in Lexington, Ill., on October 15, 1929 to Robert and Thelma (Derry) Glenn. He lived and attended school in Lexington through the 8th grade, when the family moved to Yorkville, Ill. Ralph graduated from Yorkville High School in 1947. He attended college and played football and baseball at Illinois Wesleyan University from 1947 to 1949, before transferring to the University of Illinois, where he earned undergraduate and law degrees. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1953. 

After finishing law school, Ralph enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served with distinction from 1953 to 1955. 

It was while he was studying law at the University of Illinois that Ralph met the love of his life, Shirley Rudman, the sister of his college roommate. Ralph and Shirley were married on September 10, 1955 and together they raised four children, James, Michael and twins, Cheryl and Sharon. During their 50-year marriage they enjoyed ten grandchildren and one great-grandchild. 

In 1955, Ralph and Shirley moved to Mattoon, and Ralph joined the law firm of Craig & Craig. He became an assistant state's attorney in 1958, and in 1960 was elected State's Attorney of Coles County, a position he held until 1968. 

In 1966, while in his second term, he joined with local attorney Thomas Logue and together they opened the Glenn & Logue Law Firm. Ralph continued practicing law until the end of 2014, when he retired after a 59-year career. During his career he argued cases at the Circuit, Appellate and Supreme Court levels, as well as before the U.S. District and U.S. Tax Courts.

Ralph is survived by four devoted children, James (Laura) Glenn of Mattoon, Michael (Bridgit) Glenn of Hanover Park, Cheryl (Douglas) Meyer of Lake in the Hills, and Sharon Brown of Mattoon; and 10 precious grandchildren, Kyle Glenn of Soldiers Grove, Wis., Lindsey Glenn of Austin, Texas, Michelle (Luke) Wilson of Mattoon, Miranda (Jeremy) Sullivan of Charlotte, N.C., Kevin and Andi Glenn of Hanover Park, Andrew Meyer of Chicago, Todd Meyer of Crystal Lake, Christina Meyer of Iowa City, Iowa, and Nicholas Doty of Mattoon; and one adorable great-grandchild, Maddie Sullivan of Charlotte, N.C. He is also survived by one sister, Lois Murray of Bloomington. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Thelma Glenn; his wife, Shirley Glenn; his brothers, Robert and Howard Glenn; his sisters, Dorothy Felker and Mary Quinton; and sons-in-law, Bruce Scott Doty and Clifford Brown, both of Mattoon.