HR0590 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0590 LRB096 14253 KXB 29051 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who passed away on August 11, 2009; and

WHEREAS, She was born on July 10, 1921 in Brookline, Massachusetts, to Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy; she was the fifth of nine children; in 1943, Eunice Kennedy Shriver received her Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Stanford University; and

WHEREAS, Compelled by a love for her intellectually challenged sister, the late Rosemary Kennedy, Eunice Kennedy Shriver was devoted to improving the lives of people with mental disabilities; she has shown us how, with enough compassion and ambition, one woman can change the world; and

WHEREAS, In 1961, Eunice Kennedy Shriver saw her first major success as an advocate for people suffering from mental disabilities when the President's Committee on Mental Retardation was established; she continued her campaign to research preventative measures against mental retardation and to improve society's treatment of people with mental disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Eunice Kennedy Shriver collaborated with Anne McGlone Burke to host the world's first Special Olympics at Chicago's Soldier Field in 1968; over the past 41 years, Eunice Kennedy Shriver's legacy, the Special Olympics, has developed into a powerful and successful movement worldwide; to date, over three million intellectually challenged athletes from more than 180 countries compete in the Special Olympics; her work as a champion for people with mental disabilities has fundamentally changed the way that intellectually challenged people are treated; and

WHEREAS, Eunice Kennedy Shriver's efforts have been recognized and appreciated across the globe; in 1984, President Ronald Reagan presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation's highest civilian honor; President George H.W. Bush recognized her as a part of the Extra Mile National Volunteer Pathway; Prince Albert of Monaco awarded her the Laureus Sport for Good Award; she also received The Priz de la Couronne Francaise, the Legion of Honor, the AAMD Humanitarian Award, and many more honors and awards; and

WHEREAS, Many prestigious colleges and universities throughout the United States also recognized Eunice Kennedy Shriver's efforts by awarding her with honorary degrees; Yale University, Princeton University, and Loyola College are three of the institutes of higher education that honored her in this way; and

WHEREAS, As a result of her tireless efforts, the world that Eunice Kennedy Shriver has departed from is a better, more hopeful, and understanding place than the world that she was born into 88 years ago; and

WHEREAS, Eunice Kennedy Shriver is survived by her husband, Robert Sargent Shriver, Jr.; her five children, Robert Sargent Shriver III, Maria Shriver, Timothy Perry Shriver, Mark Kennedy Shriver, and Anthony Paul Kennedy Shriver; and her 19 grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Her son, Timothy Perry Shriver, continues the work of his mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and is the current chairman and CEO of the Special Olympics; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend the Shriver family for their continuing role in the Special Olympics; and that we mourn, along with her family, friends, and all those whose lives have been blessed by her presence, the passing of Mrs. Eunice Kennedy Shriver; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Mrs. Eunice Kennedy Shriver as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.