Pacey quadruplets have graduated from dad’s alma mater

Paxton attorney Stephen R. Pacey’s hands seemed full enough in 1986. In addition to the family’s law practice, Pacey & Pacey, he was Ford County public defender.

But on March 19 of that year, Pacey’s wife, Brenda, gave birth nine weeks prematurely to quadruplets: Rachel, Robert, John and Edward in that order. By early May, all four were home from the hospital

Fast forward 22 years: On Mother’s Day weekend, the Pacey quads graduated from the University of Illinois. The story from the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette was reprinted in the summer issue of Illinois Alumni.

“On Commencement Weekend, the family raced back and forth to five or six different graduation ceremonies,” reporter Julie Wurth wrote.

“Miraculously, none of them conflicted, though Rob had to miss his Phi Beta Kappa induction because he was officiating at a track meet.”

Edward plans to attend graduate school in economics, while Rachel, Robert and John begin teaching careers. Each selected the state university independently, which was a break for the family budget.

“The days of buying 10 boxes of diapers at a time are gone, but paying four bills for tuition, housing and books is no picnic,” the article recalled.

Both Pacey parents have liberal arts degrees from Illinois, where they met. Stephen received his law degree in 1974; Brenda earned a master’s degree in 1978 and became a librarian.

Stephen Pacey has been presiding judge of the Ford County Court in the 11th Circuit since he was appointed in August 1996 and sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Benjamin K. Miller. He was president of the Ford County Bar Association from 1991 to 1997.

His service as county public defender ended in 1994, when he began a 20-month stint as a commissioner of the Illinois Court of Claims. He also served on the county board from 1990 until he became a judge.

Active in the ISBA for many years, Pacey was appointed to the Committee on Judicial Advisory Polls in 1987 and was its chair in 1993-94. He served on the ISBA Assembly from 1994 to 2000 and again from 2004 until his 2007 election to the Board of Governors.

He was appointed in 1994 to both the Committee on Judicial Evaluation, where he was secretary in 1995-96, and the Committee on the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, which he chaired in 2002-03.

Pacey served on the Juvenile Justice Section Council from 2003 to 2005, and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section Council from 2003 to 2007.

Co-founder of the Ford County Restorative Justice Program in 1998, he has spoken and conducted programs on restorative justice for the ISBA and other organizations.

Reflecting on the hubbub surrounding the birth of quadruplets 22 years ago, Pacey told the reporter that “It was 15 minutes of fame, and after that it was a lot of hard work.”