HR0955 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0955 LRB102 29104 ECR 41038 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Dominique Nicole Caldwell, who passed away on September 9, 2022; and

WHEREAS, Dominique Caldwell was born in Oak Lawn on July 19, 1985; she attended Mayfair Academy in her early years; she graduated from Seton Academy; she received her Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication with a minor in Spanish from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); she earned her Master of Arts in Teaching from National Louis University in 2010; she married Gary Caldwell on April 13, 2019; and

WHEREAS, Dominique Caldwell began working at the RH School of Performing Arts (RHSPA), where she was an integral part of the staff, teaching dance and assisting with program development; she also performed and taught within many dance companies throughout Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Dominique Caldwell began working as a teacher within the Chicago Public Schools after earning her master's degree; she was a second grade teacher at West Pullman Elementary School, where she served on the school's Instructional Leadership Team; she began working at Tanner Elementary School in 2014, becoming one of the founding members of the Fine and Performing Arts Department; during her tenure, she led the school through full arts integration and played a vital role in organizing multiple performances, musicals, and plays; she also successfully secured the Creative Schools Grant which provided the resources and funding to create an outdoor mural at the school; recently, she began designing t-shirts under her business name, Nicole Larue Designs; and

WHEREAS, While attending UIUC, Dominique Caldwell was inducted into the Delta Rho Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., where she was an avid stepper and loved teaching others; she then matriculated into the Delta Sigma Chapter, where she held the positions of Epistoleus, Rhoer advisor, and 4th Anti Basileus; she assisted in her mother's induction in 2007 and became a reverse legacy in Sigma; she was a current member of the Eta Xi Sigma Alumnae Chapter, where she previously served as a member of its step team; and

WHEREAS, Dominique Caldwell committed to her faith at a young age; as a child, she attended St. Kilian Catholic Church in Chicago; she then served as a praise dancer and choreographer at St. Ailbe Catholic Church; she later became a member of New Life Covenant Church; and

WHEREAS, Dominique Caldwell studied and learned various dance styles, including ballet, modern, pointe, jazz, tap, and hip-hop; she enjoyed making various arts and crafts, tackling improvement projects, and making bracelets, craft and card boxes, and baby shower baskets; she loved traveling and spending time at the beach; and

WHEREAS, Dominique Caldwell will be remembered for her creativity, her dry sense of humor, and her devotion to her family and friends; her legacy will live on through Tanner Elementary School's outdoor mural being dedicated in her honor, memorializing her service to the school; and

WHEREAS, Dominique Caldwell was preceded in death by her grandfather, Otha Perkins, and her grandmother, Ida Mae Smith; and

WHEREAS, Dominique Caldwell is survived by her husband, Gary Caldwell; her daughter, Layla Nicole Caldwell; her parents, Victor and Denina Smith, Kevin (Josephine) Laurent, and Jennifer Jackson; her grandmothers, Thelma Perkins and Gloria Martin; her sisters, Ashley (Justin) Bowman and Victoria Smith; her brothers, Raymond (Amy) Laurent and Cameron Laurent; her nephews, Jayce Bowman and Keishawn Laurent; her nieces, Skylar Bowman and Kaleeya Laurent; her godfather, Gary Bratcher; her godmother, Kim Muhammed; her Sigma mother, Doris Brown; and a host of uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, and in-laws; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Dominique Nicole Caldwell and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

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