Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Former District 186 superintendent Diane Rutledge, named Springfield’s First Citizen in November, has passed away. Rutledge, 74, was diagnosed in 2024 with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) and died early Tuesday morning.

Current District 186 superintendent Jennifer Gill said she went all the way back to her days as a student at Dubois Elementary School when Rutledge was a teacher there. Gill said she counts Rutledge as a mentor and a friend, and she is not the only one to say that.

“She had undying amounts of energy and focus and still just an avid reader and she was working and still serving school districts up until just a few months ago. It’s hard to put into words. She was very goal-focused to make sure she was serving her community and her position that she was in, no matter what that position was. I drew a lot from that energy and that focus and learned a lot of great lessons from her, serving underneath her leadership.”

Rutledge, at what turned out to be close to the end of her life, received much attention in earning the First Citizen award not even three months ago.

“It was something, that award itself was, she said in her speech that she felt so honored because of so many others who had gone before her in that role,” said Gill. She looked up to every single one of them and mentioned many of them by name. For Butch Elzea to stand up and speak on her behalf, and those that served on that committee, it meant a lot to her, I know.”