SR1191 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1191 LRB100 16380 MST 31508 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of the Reverend George J. Dyer, who passed away on December 3, 2017; and

WHEREAS, Father Dyer was born in Chicago on November 3, 1927 and attended Our Lady of Sorrows School and Quigley Preparatory Seminary; he was ordained on May 1, 1953; he received his doctorate in Sacred Theology in 1955 and taught Patristics and Systematic Theology at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary; in 1967, he was named Dean of Studies and served in that position for nine years; he became pastor of St. Patrick Church in Wadsworth in 1978; during his tenure, a new church was built and the first Mass was celebrated on May 11, 1991; he retired from St. Patrick in 1996; following a brief sabbatical, he served as a weekend presider at St. Julian Eymard Parish in Elk Grove Village until 2016; most recently, he ministered to the retirement community of Sedgebrook in Lincolnshire; and

WHEREAS, Father Dyer founded the theological journal, Chicago Studies; he published a weekly column under the name of Androgogy, which appeared in a thousand parish bulletins; he wrote and narrated the Three Minute Theologian, an audiocassette presentation based on current themes and Catholic teaching; and

WHEREAS, In 1982, the Catholic Theological Society of America awarded Father Dyer its John Courtney Murray medal for his "distinguished contributions" to theology; and

WHEREAS, Father Dyer was preceded in death by his parents, George M. and Mae (DeLacy) Dyer, and his sister, Marian Alice Brookman; and

WHEREAS, Father Dyer is survived by his brother-in-law, William T. Brookman; his nieces and a nephew, Marlie (Martin) Morin, Barbara Brookman, and William G. (Nancy) Brookman; his grandnieces and nephews, Melissa (Robert) Hutchison, Michael (Kristen) Morin, Lauren (Scott) Brookman-Frazee, and Shara (James) Brookman Smith; and his great-nieces and nephews, Matthew (Michelle Shimon) Hutchison, Meaghan Hutchison, Maureen Hutchison, Courtney Morin, Patrick Morin, Emily Morin, Joshua Morin, Geta Morin, Daniel Frazee, and Tamene Morin; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of the Reverend George J. Dyer, 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 Father Dyer as an expression of our deepest sympathy.