Jeanne E. Scott, 71, of Springfield, died on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019, at Luther Oaks in Bloomington.

She was born Aug. 17, 1948, in Springfield, the daughter of Maurice W. and Mary Jean (McEvoy) Scott. She was preceded in death by her parents.
Jeanne is survived by her brother, Richard (Madalyne) Scott; nieces, Karen (Craig) Ames and Nancy (Mark) Boylan; and their children, Patrick, John, and Margaret Ames, and William and Katherine Boylan, all of Bloomington.

Jeanne graduated as valedictorian from Sacred Heart Academy in 1966, magna cum laude from Bradley University in 1970, and from Northwestern University School of Law in 1973.

She began her career as the first woman prosecutor to serve in the Sangamon County State's Attorney's Office. In 1979, after a brief period in private practice with the Gramlich Law firm, Jeanne was appointed an associate circuit judge for the Seventh Judicial Circuit. In 1988, she was elected circuit judge for that six-county Circuit. From 1992–1994, Jeanne served as chief judge for the circuit. She was nominated for the federal bench by President Clinton in 1998 and she was sworn in as United States district judge for the Central District of Illinois later that year. Jeanne was the first woman to serve in each of those judicial positions. She retired in 2010.

Jeanne was a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and Sangamon County Bar Association, as well as the Illinois Judges Association. She served as a faculty member for numerous judicial conferences and bar association education programs and she was a charter member and president (1994-1995) of the Lincoln-Douglas American Inn of Court. She was also a member of St. Agnes Church, the Altrusa Club of Springfield, and Women for Women.

She was honored with Bradley University's Outstanding Young Graduate award in 1980 and she was inducted into Bradley's Centurion Society in 1993. Jeanne was admitted to the Sacred Heart-Griffin Hall of Fame in 1998 and she served on the SHG Board of Directors for several years. She also received the Sangamon County Bar Association's Legal Pioneer Award in 2010.

Jeanne was an avid sports fan who enjoyed following the St. Louis Cardinals as well as SHG, Bradley, and Northwestern teams. She loved to play golf, travel, and spend time with family and friends.

The family wishes to thank the staff of Luther Oaks and Compassus in Bloomington for the excellent care they provided to Jeanne.

Visitation: Family will receive friends from 4–7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019, at Butler Funeral Home-Springfield, 900 S. 6th St., Springfield. Visitation will begin with a prayer service at 4 p.m.

Funeral Mass: 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019, at St. Agnes Catholic Church, 245 N. Amos Ave., Springfield with Rev. Daniel Bergbower, celebrant.
Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery.