SR0983 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0983 LRB102 27225 LAW 38866 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Reverend Dirk Ficca of Oak Park, who passed away on December 21, 2021 at the age of 66; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Dirk Ficca was born to John and Patricia (Hurst) Ficca in Iowa City, Iowa on January 8, 1955; he was raised in Bloomington, Illinois; he earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa and his Master of Divinity from McCormick Theological Seminary; he married Lynda Hoffman in Benton Harbor, Michigan in 1984, and they later moved to Oak Park and started their family; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Dirk Ficca was a pioneer in the global interfaith movement; throughout his career, he served as a minister, professor, and interfaith organizer; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Dirk Ficca formerly served as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Benton Harbor in Michigan; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Dirk Ficca previously held a number of prominent academic roles, teaching at DePaul University, Garrett Evangelical-Theological Seminary, and the Lutheran School of Theology; he additionally served as an advisor to Dr. Antje Jackelen, the current archbishop of the Church of Sweden and a former colleague of the Lutheran School of Theology; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Dirk Ficca served as the executive director of the Council for the Parliament of the World's Religions for 20 years; during his tenure, he led the creation of three international parliament events in Capetown, South Africa, Barcelona, Spain, and Melbourne, Australia; and

WHEREAS, At the time of his passing, Rev. Dirk Ficca was serving as the executive director of the Twin Cities Social Cohesion Initiative and senior advisor to the Church of Sweden and the World of Neighbors Initiative; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Dirk Ficca wrote a September 11th memorial message in 2010, which was printed in the Chicago Tribune, where he offered solace to the individuals and families who were still in mourning; he also affirmed the peaceful tenets of Islam and defended the constitutional right of American Muslims to openly practice their faith; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Dirk Ficca was an avid cinephile and golfer; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Dirk Ficca was preceded in death by his mother, Patricia Ficca; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Dirk Ficca is survived by his wife of 37 years, Lynda (Hoffman) Ficca; his sons, Dillon Ficca and Connor Ficca; his father, John Ficca; his sisters, Darby Venerable and Dawn Coursey; his brother, Douglas Ficca; and his several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews; 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 Reverend Dirk Ficca 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 Rev. Dirk Ficca as an expression of our deepest sympathy.