HR0515 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0515 LRB094 12456 HSS 47228 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois learned with sadness of the death of Sherry Goodman of Chicago on Monday, May 16, 2005; and

WHEREAS, A public broadcasting pioneer and community servant, Sherry Goodman had a passion for public service that was evident in whatever project she tackled, from championing civil rights to pulling off the seemingly impossible in the not-for-profit world; and

WHEREAS, Born in Louisville, she attended Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania before receiving a master's degree in English from the University of Chicago in 1950; before attending the University of Chicago, she moved with her first husband, Gordon Goodman, from Pennsylvania to Chicago; he preceded her in death in 1966; and

WHEREAS, While married to Gordon Goodman, Ms. Goodman had two sons and began work at the National Conference of Christians and Jews; in 1968, she began working for the Welfare Council of Metropolitan Chicago; she married Richard Watt in 1972; and

WHEREAS, During the 1960s, Ms. Goodman also was a freelance producer for WTTW-Channel 11 and helped produce a series on race relations and children; she eventually was promoted to director of special audience services before leaving the station to work on the Museum of Science and Industry's 50th anniversary celebration in 1983; and

WHEREAS, While on the museum staff, she helped organize the Information Technology Resource Center, which provides technological assistance to non-profit groups, and became its first executive director; and

WHEREAS, In 1985, she became the founding president and chief executive of Chicago Access Corp., an organization that administered public-access television channels in the city; she retired in 1990, but continued her role in several community organizations, including Business and Professional People for the Public Interest and the Chicago Headline Club; and

WHEREAS, Sherry was a woman of boundless enthusiasm and energy - a multi-tasker before we knew the word; she had a special talent for friendship; and

WHEREAS, Sherry is remembered as brilliant and level-headed; her passing has been deeply felt by many, especially her husband, Richard Watt; her sons, Blair and Thom Goodman; her stepsons, Douglas and Alan Watt; and her nine grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn he passing of Sherry Goodman, and we extend our sincerest 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 her family as an expression of our deepest sympathy.