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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of Jeffrey George Spear of Quincy, who
4passed away on December 8, 2023; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Jeffrey Spear was born to George Harry and
6Charlotte Hansen Spear in Quincy on December 16, 1955; he
7graduated as valedictorian from Quincy High School in 1974,
8where he was on the basketball team and was a co-founder of the
9athletic supporters pep group; he received his bachelor's
10degree in biology and graduated magna cum laude from Kenyon
11College in 1978, where he was a member of the Delta Kappa
12Epsilon fraternity; he married Theresa Lynn (Powers) Spear in
13Quincy on June 9, 1978, and he was valedictorian of his
14graduating class at the Worsham College of Mortuary Science in
151979; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Jeffrey Spear, along with his wife, owned and
17operated Hansen-Spear Funeral Home; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Jeffrey Spear was active in a number of community
19organizations, where many of his endeavors revolved around
20raising money for youth-based organizations; since 1987, he
21provided children's sermons at Luther Memorial and Hope
22Lutheran Churches; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Jeffrey Spear was elected to the Quincy High
2School Sports Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Illinois Basketball
3Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2000; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Jeffrey Spear's interests evolved as he grew
5older; post college, he ran three Chicago Marathons in under
6three and a half hours; always an avid Chicago Cubs fan who
7loved discussing baseball strategy and statistics with other
8fans, he later began supporting the Bears, the Bulls, and the
9Blackhawks; most recently, he enjoyed reading, cutting down
10trees and splitting firewood, working in the yard, going to
11rock and roll concerts, and sipping some fine California
12Chardonnay; he was an extreme recycler and had a deep love of
13nature; he cherished time spent with his family and was
14especially proud of their individual accomplishments; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Jeffrey Spear was preceded in death by his
16parents and his pets and grandpets, Gussie, Cassie, Sonoma
17Red, Aspen, Artemis, and a host of cats; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Jeffrey Spear is survived by his wife of 45
19years, Theresa; his sons, William (Dr. Kristin) Spear,
20Nicholas (Sarah) Spear, and Kristjan (Lilian) Makke; his
21grandsons, Zeus Spear, Theo Spear, Erik Makke, Sebastian
22Makke, and Oskar Makke; his brothers, John (Lisa) Spear and

 

 

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1Dr. Robert (Jan) Spear; his father-in-law and mother-in-law,
2Dr. Francis and Jean Powers; his brothers-in-law, Tom (Tina)
3Powers and Tim (Laura) Powers; his sisters-in-laws, Peggy
4Phillips, Faye (Mike) Ericson, and Joanne (Jeff) Bergman; his
5numerous nieces and nephews; and his Irish Setter, Cutrer;
6therefore, be it
 
7    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
8ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
9Jeffrey George Spear and extend our sincere condolences to his
10family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
11further
 
12    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
13presented to the family of Jeffrey Spear as an expression of
14our deepest sympathy.