SR1057 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1057 LRB103 40938 ECR 73969 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Galen L. Gockel of Oak Park, who passed away on January 21, 2024 at the age of 91; and

WHEREAS, Galen Gockel was born in the City of Anna to Herman and Mildred Gockel; he earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Valparaiso in 1953; that same year, he joined the U.S. Navy, serving as a naval officer aboard the USS Rochester and teaching fleet air defense in San Diego; and

WHEREAS, Galen Gockel met his wife, Marge, in San Diego, where she taught junior high school students; they married soon after and moved to Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Galen Gockel received a Master of Arts in Social Work and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Chicago in 1971; during his time at the university, he served as a field director for the National Opinion Research Center, analyzing data of a national study of racially integrated neighborhoods; and

WHEREAS, Galen Gockel was active in the civil rights movement while in graduate school, participating in the Freedom Summer project of 1964, which sought to register African Americans in the south to vote; during his training in non-violent resistance, he collaborated with civil rights icons, including Bayard Rustin and Fannie Lou Hamer; and

WHEREAS, Galen Gockel was committed to racial justice, and he and his wife acted as "straw buyers" for a Black family after that family experienced discrimination from local realtors in their efforts to purchase homes in the Village of Oak Park; and

WHEREAS, Galen Gockel moved from Chicago's south side to Oak Park with his wife in 1969; they purchased a house on Lombard Ave, a location that would later become the home to the new Oak Park Village Hall; and

WHEREAS, Galen Gockel joined the Associated Colleges of the Midwest in 1969, serving as a faculty member and later as the director of the Urban Studies Program; he retired in 1995, after helping build a program that taught 65 students each semester about the challenges and triumphs of urban America; and

WHEREAS, Galen Gockel was elected to the District 97 School Board in 1971; he and fellow community members formed the Committee for Tomorrow's Schools and devised a plan to encourage the integration of Oak Park schools by redrawing boundaries and creating two junior high schools, now Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School and Percy Julian Middle School; and

WHEREAS, Galen Gockel helped establish pillars of the Oak Park community; he partnered with his wife and founded the Oak Park Farmer's Market in 1976 to provide fresh and local produce to Oak Park residents, and they helped fund the Wednesday Journal community newspaper in 1980; and

WHEREAS, Galen Gockel was elected a township assessor in 1993, serving in that role until 2001; he fostered positive relationships with members of the Oak Park Township Committee and served as a mentor to Ali ElSaffar, who succeeded him and presently serves in the role; and

WHEREAS, Galen Gockel was elected to the Village Board of Oak Park in 2001, serving as a village trustee and becoming one of the few people in the history of Oak Park to be elected to three government positions; he served one term on the Village Board and was later asked to return to fill a vacancy in 2006; and

WHEREAS, Galen Gockel engaged with the community outside of his government roles; he was asked to join the board of the Festival Theater in 2002; though reluctant at first, he ultimately joined and later became the CEO; he is honored for his role at the Festival Theater through the Galen Gockel Internship Fund, which provides stipends to theater students participating in the Festival Theater summer program; he was also awarded a Community Service Award by the Park District of Oak Park for his work with the Festival Theater; and

WHEREAS, Galen Gockel continued his contributions to his community after his retirement, serving as a chairperson for other Oak Park organizations, including the Unity Temple Concert Series and the Senior Citizens Center; and

WHEREAS, Galen Gockel, whose wise input and ideas were valued and sought, was a good friend, neighbor, and counsel to many, including Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, a lifelong Oak Park resident; in his later years, he helped host an annual Town Hall Meeting with Senator Harmon for residents of his Brookdale living facility, known as Brookdale University, and this event became a highlight of the year for Senator Harmon as much as for the attendees and Brookdale audience; and

WHEREAS, Galen Gockel was recognized as a model of good citizenry; he was quick to listen and collaborate; he rarely took credit for his accomplishments and instead heaped praise upon others; he was thoughtful and considerate though he always spoke his mind; his commitment to equity and community-building have indelibly shaped the spirit of Oak Park; and

WHEREAS, Galen Gockel was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; his sister, Greta Ann Heinemeier; and his son, Timothy J. Gockel; and

WHEREAS, Galen Gockel is survived by his children, Andrew Gockel and Rebecca Kutak; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Galen L. Gockel 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 Galen Gockel as an expression of our deepest sympathy.