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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened | ||||||
| 3 | to learn of the death of Suzanne "Susy" Woods of Springfield, | ||||||
| 4 | who passed away on December 8, 2023; and | ||||||
| 5 | WHEREAS, Susy Woods was born to Laverne and Maxine | ||||||
| 6 | (McCastle) Kauling in Salem on June 11, 1948; she graduated | ||||||
| 7 | from Ursuline Academy with the class of 1966; she received her | ||||||
| 8 | bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of | ||||||
| 9 | Illinois at Springfield and a doctorate from Walden | ||||||
| 10 | University; she married David Dean Woods on September 4, 1976; | ||||||
| 11 | and | ||||||
| 12 | WHEREAS, Susy Woods worked as a public policy and | ||||||
| 13 | education liaison with the Illinois Assistive Technology | ||||||
| 14 | Program in Springfield; she retired from the Illinois | ||||||
| 15 | Department of Revenue, where she worked as a computer | ||||||
| 16 | operator; she previously worked at the University of Illinois | ||||||
| 17 | at Springfield as Director of Disability Services, where she | ||||||
| 18 | was also an adjunct professor; and | ||||||
| 19 | WHEREAS, Susy Woods was a champion and passionate advocate | ||||||
| 20 | for children and adults with disabilities in Illinois; she was | ||||||
| 21 | a registered lobbyist who sought laws and policies that | ||||||
| 22 | benefited children and adults with disabilities; she served on | ||||||
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| 1 | the Illinois State Task Force on Employment and Economic | ||||||
| 2 | Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities and also served on | ||||||
| 3 | the Illinois State Advisory Council on the Education of | ||||||
| 4 | Children with Disabilities; she was on the boards of IMPACT | ||||||
| 5 | Center for Independent Living in Alton and the Arc of | ||||||
| 6 | Illinois; she was involved with many other groups, including | ||||||
| 7 | NAMI-Illinois, United Cerebral Palsy of Illinois, and the | ||||||
| 8 | Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities' Partners in | ||||||
| 9 | Policymaking; and | ||||||
| 10 | WHEREAS, Susy Woods was a skilled and effective special | ||||||
| 11 | education advocate who assisted children with disabilities and | ||||||
| 12 | their parents and guardians from all over Illinois; she | ||||||
| 13 | assisted thousands of families in IEP meetings;; and | ||||||
| 14 | WHEREAS, Susy Woods was completely dedicated to her family | ||||||
| 15 | and many friends, and she was a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals | ||||||
| 16 | fan; and | ||||||
| 17 | WHEREAS, Susy Woods was preceded in death by her parents, | ||||||
| 18 | Laverne and Maxine Kauling; her beloved grandmother, Belle | ||||||
| 19 | McCastle; and her great-nephew, Elijah Kauling; and | ||||||
| 20 | WHEREAS, Susy Woods is survived by her husband, David | ||||||
| 21 | Woods; her daughter, Rachael (Rob) Macropoulos; her son, Adam | ||||||
| 22 | (Leslie) Woods; her sister, Diane (Mark) Steinhauser; her | ||||||
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| 1 | sister, Tia (John) Schoen; several nieces and nephews; her | ||||||
| 2 | grandchildren, Isabella (Alex) Schmidt, Sofia Macropoulos, | ||||||
| 3 | Cecelia Macropoulos, and Hudson Macropoulos; and her | ||||||
| 4 | great-granddaughter, Athena Burnom; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 5 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | ||||||
| 6 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
| 7 | Susy Woods and extend our sincere condolences to her family, | ||||||
| 8 | friends and all who knew and loved her; and be it further | ||||||
| 9 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 10 | presented to the family of Susy Woods as an expression of our | ||||||
| 11 | deepest sympathy. | ||||||