SR0365

LRB093 15707 KEF 41317 r









1

SENATE RESOLUTION


 
2
    WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois 
3
learned with great sadness of the passing of Joseph T. Potasiak 
4
of Chicago on December 19, 2003; and

 
5
    WHEREAS, Born in Chicago to immigrant parents, Joseph 
6
Potasiak did maintenance work at his elementary school to help 
7
pay tuition; he pumped gas and worked as a cashier and stocker 
8
as well; and

 
9
    WHEREAS, Mr. Potasiak earned his bachelor's degree in 
10
political science and criminal justice from the University of 
11
Illinois at Chicago; he made the dean's list while earning his 
12
law degree from Cooley School of Law in Lansing, Michigan; and

 
13
    WHEREAS, In 1987, Mr. Potasiak began working as an 
14
assistant corporation counsel for Chicago; he handled special 
15
and municipal prosecutions and most recently enforced building 
16
codes for the building and land use division; and

 
17
    WHEREAS, Mr. Potasiak was tough in the courtroom but worked 
18
behind the scenes, calling the Cook County public guardian's 
19
office, aldermen, and community organizations to help elderly 
20
and low-income tenants get the support they needed; and

 
21
    WHEREAS, Active in the Polish community, Mr. Potasiak was 
22
named the Polish American Police Association's Person of the 
23
Year in 2000; and

 
24
    WHEREAS, Joseph Potasiak met Marilyn Mazewski at a meeting 
25
of the Advocates Society, a Polish lawyers' organization; they 
26
were married in 1995; and

 
27
    WHEREAS, An avid fisherman and hunter, Mr. Potasiak enjoyed 
28
spending the day with his Chesapeake Bay retriever, and best 
 


 









SR0365
- 2 -
LRB093 15707 KEF 41317 r







1
friend, "Duke"; and

 
2
    WHEREAS, Joseph Potasiak was a member of the American, 
3
Illinois and Chicago (Government Service, Litigation and 
4
Judicial Evaluations Committees) Bar Associations; Thomas M. 
5
Cooley, University of Illinois, Lane Technical and St. Fidelis 
6
Alumni Associations; the Polish National Alliance; the Chicago 
7
Society, and the Polish Museum of America; he was a Polish 
8
American Congress-Delegate and a past president of the 
9
Advocates Society of Polish American Lawyers; in addition, he 
10
was a member of the Catholic Lawyers Guild and served as a 
11
DePaul and John Marshall Moot Court Judge; and

 
12
    WHEREAS, The passing of Joseph T. Potasiak has been deeply 
13
felt by all who knew and loved him, especially his wife Marilyn 
14
A. Mazewski; his mother, Gabriela; his sister, Teresa; his 
15
godson, Arthur (Sophia) Potasiak; his nieces and nephews, 
16
Alaina, Brittney, Candice, and Douglas; his mother-in-law, 
17
Florence Mazewski; and his brother-in-law, Aloysius A. 
18
(Janice) Mazewski; he was preceded in death by his father 
19
Joseph and his father-in-law Aloysius A. Mazewski; and

 

20
    RESOLVED, BY THE  SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL 
21
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of 
22
Joseph T. Potasiak along with all who knew and loved him and 
23
extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends; and 
24
be it further

 
25
    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution is 
26
presented to the family of Joseph T. Potasiak.