HR0813 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0813 LRB103 40617 LAW 73292 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Alan L. "Al" Larson, the former and longest-serving Mayor of the Village of Schaumburg, who passed away on March 19, 2024; and

WHEREAS, Al Larson was born to a Chicagoan mother and Swedish immigrant father on October 21, 1938; he was an Eagle Scout; he graduated from Lane Tech College Prep High School in 1956; he and his wife, Nancy, moved to Schaumburg in 1969, where they raised their five children; he earned an Associate of Science from William Rainey Harper College in Palatine in 1972; and

WHEREAS, Al Larson was a dedicated servant to the Village of Schaumburg for more than 45 years; he became involved in politics in the early 1970s; he was appointed chair of the Schaumburg Environmental Committee and as a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals by then-Mayor Bob Atcher in 1974; he served as a trustee on the Village Board from 1975 to 1987, working alongside Mayors Ray Kessell and Herb Aigner to establish and implement village policy; and

WHEREAS, Al Larson served as Mayor of the Village of Schaumburg for eight terms from 1987 to 2019; for over three decades, he dedicated himself to serving the residents of Schaumburg, priding himself on being highly accessible and responsive to their needs; he was actively engaged in the community and focused on improving the quality of life for those that lived, worked, and conducted business in the village; and

WHEREAS, Al Larson was ardently dedicated to the arts, and this dedication was recognized when the Schaumburg Prairie Center was renamed in his honor as the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts in 2017; and

WHEREAS, Al Larson was a naturalist, and he had a lifelong love and appreciation of nature; and

WHEREAS, Al Larson will be remembered as a visionary leader whose guidance and service made a lasting, positive impact on the Village of Schaumburg; and

WHEREAS, Al Larson is survived by his wife of 60 years; his children and their spouses, Michael, Catherine, Elizabeth, David, and Jennifer; 12 grandchildren; and his sister, Lorna; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Alan L. "Al" Larson, the former and longest-serving Mayor of the Village of Schaumburg, 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 Al Larson as an expression of our deepest sympathy.