SR0670 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0670 LRB104 21134 LAW 35432 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Scott McFarland of Moline, who passed away on August 2, 2025; and

WHEREAS, Scott McFarland, the son of Donald and Karla (Pollack) McFarland, was born on August 10, 1983; he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts; he married his wife, Amber, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities in Davenport, Iowa on August 23, 2008; and

WHEREAS, For more than a decade, Scott McFarland led the Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service (Serve Illinois), a 40-member, bipartisan board appointed by the Governor and administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services to strengthen communities through volunteerism, national service, and recognition; during his tenure, he was noted for caring deeply about the grant programs he administered and all the people behind those programs; and

WHEREAS, Scott McFarland was a passionate advocate for education and volunteerism; as an elected member of the Springfield School District 186 Board of Education, he pursued initiatives that he felt would improve the lives of all children in the district; at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he organized a mutual aid group on Facebook, Springfield Families Helping Families, which expanded its membership to 32.2k under his guidance; and

WHEREAS, Scott McFarland was also fiercely political, reveling in debating online or in person, and he loved his time in Model Illinois Government, where he made lifelong friends; he also held interests in the Chicago Cubs, Star Trek, Marvel, the Less Than Jake band, Ghostbusters, the musical Hamilton, and his podcast; and

WHEREAS, Scott McFarland loved his children, Anastasia, Addison, and Clark, with every fiber of his being; he was proud of their accomplishments and enjoyed partaking in different activities with them, such as volunteering for events with Anastasia, going on walks on the I-74 bridge with Addison, and watching Transformers and Godzilla with Clark; and

WHEREAS, Scott McFarland was preceded in death by his aunt, Jennifer Pollack; his maternal grandparents, Sharon and Joseph Pollack; his paternal grandparents, Donald and Diane McFarland; and his dog, Cody; and

WHEREAS, At the time of his passing, Scott McFarland was survived by his wife; his children; his brothers, Craig (Zoey) McFarland and Ryan McFarland; his nephew, Liam McFarland; and his cousin, Jonathan Pollack; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Scott McFarland 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 Scott McFarland as an expression of our deepest sympathy.