SR0431 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0431 LRB102 19014 LAW 27742 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Lawrence J. "Larry" Biondi, who passed away on June 28, 2021; and

WHEREAS, Larry Biondi was born on February 17, 1963; and

WHEREAS, Larry Biondi worked as the advocacy manager of the Progress Center for Independent Living for 28 years, where he led the center's community organizers and organized and implemented strategies to improve housing, transportation, public access, and health care for the disability community; he was well known for his legislative training course, which he and his team offered twice a year, held once a week over the course of ten weeks, and culminated in a trip to Springfield, where students met with State politicians and their staffs and applied the skills they learned during the course; he was the center's longest serving employee; and

WHEREAS, As a person with a disability, Larry Biondi hired and managed his own personal assistants, who gave him the ability to focus on his job; he knew the essential link between accommodations, independence, and inclusion for people with disabilities; without personal assistants, he would not have been able to live on his own and, understanding that link, he never stopped fighting to strengthen and build systems of community services so that all people with disabilities had the opportunity to access services and live independently; and

WHEREAS, Larry Biondi also dedicated his time to Chicago ADAPT, a grass roots disability advocacy organization, and National ADAPT; he attended hundreds of local and national ADAPT demonstrations; he also participated in civil disobedience when local, regional, and national entities failed to recognize the needs and rights of people with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, At the front end of the COVID-19 pandemic, Larry Biondi actively engaged in and remained committed to two new coalitions throughout the pandemic; as a member of the PPE for People with Disabilities Coalition, he joined the effort to ensure that people with disabilities in Chicagoland and their personal assistants had access to personal protective equipment; with the Institutional Rescue and Recovery Coalition, he also advocated for residents of long-term facilities, who suffered an alarming mortality rate during the Covid-19 crisis; and

WHEREAS, Larry Biondi was a proud advocate for social justice, especially for those persons with disabilities, and he tirelessly fought for disability rights for 28 years; he rarely turned down an opportunity to speak to a group of students, join a coalition, or attend a meeting, so long as he had a chance to raise awareness about disability, learn more about issues, and empower other people with disabilities; his leadership and legacy will be remembered by his colleagues at the Progress Center for Independent Living and ADAPT; and

WHEREAS, Larry Biondi was the son of the late Beatrice (Zimmerman) and Roy Biondi; the nephew of Anna Marie Pierotti and Fr. Lawrence Biondi, S.J.; the cousin of Anita Kidd, Maria Pierotti, and Peter Pierotti; and the cousin of Atina, Peter, Nicholas, Matteo, Giana, Luca, and many other Zimmerman cousins; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Lawrence J. "Larry" Biondi 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 Larry Biondi as an expression of our deepest sympathy.