IL SR0957

Robert W. "Rob" Pullen of Naperville died on July 2, 2012, and the Illinois Senate expresses condolences to his family and loved ones.

Pullen was born May 29, 1962, earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he played 4 years as starting shortstop for the baseball team, and earned an MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Business in 1993.

Pullen joined Tellabs, Inc. in 1985 as an electrical engineer and advanced to Chief Executive Officer and President in 2008, also serving as chairman emeritus of the Telecommunications Industry Association executive board and co-chair of SuperComm.

Pullen was a member of SS. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Naperville and coached youth sports including soccer, basketball, and baseball, including coaching his son's Little League team to a city championship in 2007.

Pullen is survived by his wife Dawn, two children, his parents, four siblings, three in-laws, and 18 nieces and nephews.