SR0884 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0884 LRB101 16140 MST 65507 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Judge Manuel Barbosa of Elgin, who passed away on November 25, 2019; and

WHEREAS, Judge Barbosa was born in Tamuin, San Luis Potosi, Mexico to Eliseo and Concepcion Barbosa on October 28, 1947; he immigrated with his family to the U.S. as an infant, living in Texas and Nebraska; he became a naturalized citizen when he was 6, and his family moved to Elgin when he was 10; he attended St. Joseph School and graduated from St. Edward High School; he earned his bachelor's degree in literature from St. Procopius College, now Benedictine University; he earned his law degree from John Marshall Law School in 1977; and

WHEREAS, Judge Barbosa was the first Hispanic hired as a Kane County assistant state's attorney; he had a distinguished career in both private practice and public service; he served for 18 years as chairman of the Illinois Human Rights Commission before being appointed to the federal bench in 1998, becoming the first Hispanic federal judge to serve on the bench of the Northern District of Illinois; as a bankruptcy judge, he oversaw a diverse set of cases, ranging from those involving large companies to those involving individuals; he retired in 2013 and then wrote and published an autobiographical book; and

WHEREAS, Judge Barbosa served on the Board of Visitors at Northern Illinois University's College of Law and operated a judicial reform training program in Peru; he founded the Club Guadalupano of Elgin to help Latino students find scholarships; he also served on the Metra Board of Directors; and

WHEREAS, Judge Barbosa was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Carmen; and

WHEREAS, Judge Barbosa is survived by his wife of 45 years, Linda Kupfer; his children, Maria Elena, Vincent, and Cristina; and his grandchildren, Adrian, Jonathan, Alysia, Anthony, Gabriella, Simone, Axel, and Stella; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Judge Manuel Barbosa and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Judge Barbosa as an expression of our deepest sympathy.