SR1657 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1657 LRB100 21752 ALS 39357 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Preston F. "Pres" Helgren of Gurnee, who passed away on March 14, 2018; and

WHEREAS, Pres Helgren was born in Waukegan to Fred and Esther Helgren on June 30, 1926; always a lover of music, he had a fine tenor voice, and he played the clarinet in high school; he graduated from the University of Wisconsin Madison with a degree in chemistry, where he played in the band under the direction of Ray Dvorak; and

WHEREAS, Pres Helgren worked at Carnation in Milwaukee and then spent the rest of his career as a research chemist at Abbott Laboratories, where he was a specialist in gas chromatography and amino acid analysis; while at Abbott, he met Helen Efinger, a fellow chemist, and they celebrated 58 years of marriage; and

WHEREAS, Pres Helgren was a lifelong member of Christ Church in Waukegan, where he sang in the choir, served on Vestry, and was a member of the Christ Care group; because of his work as a volunteer for Elder Care at Christ Church, he was named Senior Citizen of the Year by the Lake County Council for Seniors; and

WHEREAS, Pres Helgren had many interests; he inherited a love of gardening from his parents and was known for his perfect yard, beautiful rose garden, and productive vegetable garden and orchard; he and Helen were also passionate about prairies and recreated prairie landscapes around the Gurnee area; he collected antique cars and was active in the Waukegan Chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America, where he served as president of the chapter and was on the Illinois Region Board; he and Helen enjoyed traveling the country and attending car meets; he eventually won the top prize, a grand national award, with his 1933 Chevrolet; he was a voracious reader, a die hard fan of the Wisconsin Badgers, and an avid golfer; he generously supported the causes he held dear: the environment, the less fortunate, education, and the arts; and

WHEREAS, Pres Helgren was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Helen; two of his daughters in infancy; his sister, Mary Ellen Johnson; and his niece, Susan Johnson; and

WHEREAS, Pres Helgren is survived by his son, Daniel (Elizabeth) Helgren; his daughter, Mary Catherine (Richard Radek) Helgren; his step-children, Zachary Noah and Madeline Rose; his nephews, Preston and Peter Johnson; and his best friend, Eileen Graham; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Preston F. "Pres" Helgren 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 Pres Helgren as an expression of our deepest sympathy.