HR0614 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0614 LRB103 39577 ECR 69834 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of John C. Katz-Mariani, who passed away on February 10, 2024; and

WHEREAS, John Katz-Mariani was born to Carl Mariani and Doris Zimmerman on September 9, 1958; he was raised in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and he played on his high school soccer team; he attended West Virginia University before transferring to Northwestern University, where he studied literature and earned his bachelor's degree in liberal arts in 1983; he received his Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Pennsylvania in 1990; he married Paula Katz on September 2, 1990; he became a master gardener through the University of Illinois Extension, and he later earned a certificate in natural areas management from the College of Lake County in 2021; and

WHEREAS, After working several jobs as a teenager, including at the famous Blue Bell Inn, John Katz-Mariani began his writing career at World Book Encyclopedia in 1985, becoming an expert on sponges in the process; he transitioned to working as a teacher at a therapeutic day school in 1986 and then at a residential facility called the Carson Valley School in 1988; and

WHEREAS, After earning his MSW, John Katz-Mariani began working for the Family Service Association of Bucks County in 1990; he then joined the Lake County Department of Health in 2002, serving as a social worker for individuals with severe mental illnesses; and

WHEREAS, John Katz-Mariani coached his son's youth baseball and basketball teams for many years; in order to support his children's love of theater, he worked backstage and became a stage manager with Big Deal Productions in Buffalo Grove, where he continued to work with children and serve the community long after his children had aged out of the program; and

WHEREAS, John Katz-Mariani attended the Congregation Or Shalom in Vernon Hills; he converted to Judaism in 1993, becoming a bar mitzvah in 1996; he founded the Or Shalom Mitzvah Garden in 2011, which provides free produce to local food pantries in Lake County; and

WHEREAS, John Katz-Mariani was known as a dedicated, involved, and thoughtful father; he will be remembered for his humble, community-oriented, and generous nature; and

WHEREAS, John Katz-Mariani is survived by his wife of 33 years, Paula; his daughter, Claire; his son, Al; his siblings, Jim, Carla, Tom, Dan, Ceci, Kathryn, and Peter; and his many nieces and nephews; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of John C. Katz-Mariani 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 John Katz-Mariani as an expression of our deepest sympathy.