HR0771 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0771 LRB100 16648 MST 31785 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives were saddened to learn of the death of James E. Keefe, who passed away on November 21, 2017; and

WHEREAS, James Keefe was born in Chicago to James H. and Florence M. (Cooney) Keefe on January 13, 1932; he moved to Woodstock in 1938 and attended St. Mary's School through the 9th grade; he then attended St. Mary's Seminary School, where he had planned to become a priest; and

WHEREAS, James Keefe attended college at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa until he was drafted during his sophomore year; he served his country with distinction in the U.S. Army as a military policeman during the Korean War; he returned to college after being discharged and graduated from St. Ambrose in 1957; and

WHEREAS, Two weeks after graduating from college, James Keefe married the love of his life, Mary Ellen Burmeister, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Woodstock; together they were parents to Kelly, Erin, Patrick, and Quinn and grandparents to several grandchildren and one great-grandchild; and

WHEREAS, James Keefe worked as an insurance agent for more than 43 years, with 38 years as an agent for Country Companies; and

WHEREAS, During his entire adult life, James Keefe was an active member of St. Mary Parish and served as a Knight of the Roman Catholic Order of the Holy Sepulchre; and

WHEREAS, James Keefe was a charter member of the Woodstock Rotary Club and served as the club's vice president when the club was founded in 1968; he later served as president and in many other roles; he and his wife hosted numerous Rotary Exchange students from all parts of the world throughout the years; and

WHEREAS, As a Rotarian, James Keefe recorded over 49 years of perfect attendance at Rotary meetings, even seeking out meetings when traveling out of town; he was named a "Paul Harris" fellow through Rotary; and

WHEREAS, James Keefe was a longtime member of the McHenry County Civil War Roundtable, where he served as treasurer; he was a past member of the Woodstock Jaycees, the Lions Club, and the Elks Club; and

WHEREAS, James Keefe was elected to the Woodstock City Council in 1969 and served two full terms; he also served on the Police and Fire Commission, the Woodstock Library Board, and the Memorial Hospital Board; and

WHEREAS, In 2002, James Keefe received the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce Buschkopf Award for Community Service; and

WHEREAS, James Keefe had a deep love of history and became known for his "History of Woodstock" slide presentations which he gave to many groups over the years; and

WHEREAS, James Keefe was a talented photographer and loved to travel and document his trips through pictures; he traveled the world with his wife Mary Ellen before her death, never missing Mass or Rotary Meetings wherever their travels took them; and

WHEREAS, James Keefe is survived by his children, Kelly (Mark) Afeld, Erin (Steve Walters) Anderegg, Patrick (Katherine) Keefe, and Quinn Keefe; his grandchildren, Kendra, Trevor, Greta, Lauren, Bridget, Hanna, Joseph, Hailey, and Katelyn; and his great-grandchild, Ella; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of James Keefe, 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 James Keefe as an expression of our deepest sympathy.