SR1198 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1198 LRB103 42495 LAW 75726 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Shirley A. (Waterman) Harris of Springfield, who passed away on August 6, 2024; and

WHEREAS, Shirley Harris was born to Raymond and Goldie (Durbin) Waterman in Taylorville on November 13, 1929; she attended Meader Country School, St. Mary's Elementary School until the eighth grade, and Sacred Heart Academy as a boarding student, where she graduated in 1947; she then attended Quincy College; she married Walter C. Harris on October 29, 1949; she received her bachelor's degree from Mundelein University and later her master's degree in education from Sangamon State University, known today as the University of Illinois Springfield; and

WHEREAS, Shirley Harris was a lifelong educator, teaching every grade in elementary and high schools from Illinois to California and back again throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with her first teaching assignment being to lead a classroom of 42 seven-year-olds; after 16 years of teaching, she and her family moved to Springfield, Illinois in 1973, where she began her career at the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), continuing until her retirement in 1991; and

WHEREAS, While serving ISBE, Shirley Harris began her involvement in the local union; she was appointed secretary at the first union meeting she attended and rose through the ranks; she was elected president of the Illinois Federation of State Office Educators (IFSOE) Local 3236 by her peers numerous times, holding the additional distinction of being the union's first woman president; during her tenure, she fought for fair wages and benefits while picketing alongside her union brothers and sisters; and

WHEREAS, In retirement, Shirley Harris and her husband, Walter, enjoyed traveling and wintering in Florida; they also became members of the World War II (WWII) Illinois Veterans Memorial Committee in 2001, spending the next three years attending meetings, researching battle sites for Walter's Walls, and raising money to fund the memorial until its dedication on December 4, 2004; she proceeded to serve as the veterans' story editor for many years, ensuring that Illinois WWII veterans' oral histories were preserved and honored through the memorial's website and the Library of Congress; and

WHEREAS, Shirley Harris was passionate about studying genealogy, tracing her family's roots back 14 generations and co-authoring her first book, The Waterman-Hancock Family History, in 1976; she ultimately penned three more books about her family's history; and

WHEREAS, Shirley Harris was an avid reader and history buff who enjoyed gardening, playing the guitar or violin, and writing letters, poems, or stories and was skilled at fishing; she loved sewing and quilted more than 50 quilts for family and friends; her family was her passion, and she enjoyed attending family reunions and sharing family stories; and

WHEREAS, Shirley Harris was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Walter; her son, Jeffrey; her parents; her grandson, Zachary; her sister, Lala; and her brothers, Richard, Dale, Mike, Frank, and John; and

WHEREAS, Shirley Harris is survived by her children, David (Margie), Kevin (Karen), Marianne Harris, and Cecilia (David Wesselman); seven grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; her sisters, Therese, Marjory, Carol, and Dorothy; her brother, Vic (Paula); and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins; 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 Shirley A. (Waterman) Harris and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Shirley Harris as an expression of our deepest sympathy.