| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened | ||||||
| 3 | to learn of the death of Thomas Patrick Hardy of Hinsdale, who | ||||||
| 4 | passed away on March 27, 2025; and | ||||||
| 5 | WHEREAS, Thomas Hardy was raised in Chicago's Beverly | ||||||
| 6 | neighborhood, graduating from Brother Rice High School and | ||||||
| 7 | later from Ripon College in Wisconsin, where he was a proud | ||||||
| 8 | member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity; and | ||||||
| 9 | WHEREAS, Tom Hardy continued his education at Northwestern | ||||||
| 10 | University, where he graduated from the Medill School of | ||||||
| 11 | Journalism; and | ||||||
| 12 | WHEREAS, Tom Hardy had a long, distinguished career in | ||||||
| 13 | journalism, government, and public affairs; and | ||||||
| 14 | WHEREAS, Tom Hardy began his career in journalism at the | ||||||
| 15 | Chicago Tribune, first as a copy clerk and later as a political | ||||||
| 16 | writer and columnist, where his work included traveling with | ||||||
| 17 | candidates to cover three presidential campaigns; and | ||||||
| 18 | WHEREAS, Tom Hardy also served as a frequent analyst for | ||||||
| 19 | public affairs programming on WGN-TV and WTTW-TV during his | ||||||
| 20 | years as an active private-sector journalist; and | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | WHEREAS, Tom Hardy became press secretary for Governor Jim | ||||||
| 2 | Edgar after two decades at the Chicago Tribune; and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, Tom Hardy then became a managing director of | ||||||
| 4 | public affairs for Burson-Marsteller, a global public | ||||||
| 5 | relations firm, before joining the University of Illinois; and | ||||||
| 6 | WHEREAS, Tom Hardy had recently retired from the | ||||||
| 7 | University of Illinois after nearly two decades, rising to the | ||||||
| 8 | rank of chief spokesman and executive director of the Office | ||||||
| 9 | of University Relations for the University of Illinois; and | ||||||
| 10 | WHEREAS, Tom Hardy was an athletic man and a sought-after | ||||||
| 11 | partner for golf tournaments; he enjoyed playing soccer and | ||||||
| 12 | racquetball and loved snow skiing, often with his father, | ||||||
| 13 | siblings, and two sons; and | ||||||
| 14 | WHEREAS, Tom Hardy was an unpretentious and generous man; | ||||||
| 15 | he was easy going with a great sense of humor and a big smile | ||||||
| 16 | to match; and | ||||||
| 17 | WHEREAS, Thomas Hardy leaves behind his loving fiancée, | ||||||
| 18 | Suzanne "Sue" Schoij, who was by his side for almost 12 years; | ||||||
| 19 | his sons whom he adored, Kevin Thomas (Kate) and Brian | ||||||
| 20 | Patrick; his granddaughters, Clare and Nora; his siblings, | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | Christine Ann Hardy (Tim Cornillie), Steven Michael (Terry), | ||||||
| 2 | Cathlyn Jane (Steve) Kroml and Brian Richard (Ellen); and many | ||||||
| 3 | nieces and nephews; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 4 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL | ||||||
| 5 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
| 6 | Thomas Patrick Hardy and extend our sincere condolences to his | ||||||
| 7 | family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it | ||||||
| 8 | further | ||||||
| 9 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 10 | presented to Sue Schoij as a symbol of our deepest sympathy. | ||||||