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SENATE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois 
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learned with regret of the death of Marva Joyce Ryskiewicz of 
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Waukegan on Thursday, September 21, 2006; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Mrs. Ryskiewicz was a dance teacher known to 
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hundreds of Lake County students; her career as a teacher of 
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dance spanned 53 years; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Mrs. Ryskiewicz started her first dance studio 
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just after her graduation from Waukegan High School in 1953; 
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she was just 17 years old; and

 

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    WHEREAS, Mrs. Ryskiewicz performed in the Chicago area for 
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a number of years; tap dancing was her forte; and 
 

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    WHEREAS, Her Applause with Marva Joyce Dance Studio opened 
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in Waukegan in 1973 and was open until September of 2005, when 
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Mrs. Ryskiewicz learned that she had brain cancer; and
 
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    WHEREAS, While undergoing radiation treatment and 
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surgeries, Mrs. Ryskiewicz demonstrated her amazing spirit and 
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love for dance in creating what she called "The Cancer Dance", 
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which she literally choreographed from her bed in the intensive 
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care unit; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Mrs. Ryskiewicz was known for teaching her 
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students what she knew about life; she talked about the dangers 
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of drugs and alcohol, discussed relationships, animal rights, 
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and other topics, and advised students to stay in school, go on 
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to college, and to see the world;  these informal lessons were 
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sometimes called "Marva 101" by her students; and
 
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    WHEREAS, She was known as a true legend throughout her 
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community; in addition to teaching so many students how to 
 


 






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dance, she also taught them about life and how to be better 
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people; and
 
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    WHEREAS, She was preceded in death by her parents, Anton 
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and Sylvia Tersar; and
 
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    WHEREAS, The passing of Marva Joyce Ryskiewicz has been 
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deeply felt by many, especially her husband, John, and the many 
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students whose lives she touched throughout the years, who were 
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like children to her; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL 
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ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of 
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Marva Joyce Ryskiewicz, and we extend our sincerest condolences 
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to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be 
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it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to her family as an expression of our deepest 
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sympathy for their loss.