SR0967 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0967 LRB097 23400 MST 72277 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Mario J. Perez of Woodstock, who passed away on October 31, 2012; and

WHEREAS, Mario Perez was born on January 19, 1935, in Seneca to Carmen and Jose Perez; he was raised in Marseilles and then moved to Chicago in the 1940s; he attended St. Patrick's Academy in Chicago on a basketball scholarship and graduated in 1953; he attended the University of Illinois-Navy Pier from 1953-1955, and graduated from the University of Illinois-Urbana in 1957, with a history major and a minor in anthropology; he obtained his Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law in 1960, was a member of the Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity, and served in the U.S. Army Reserves; he married Esther Peterson of Ames, Iowa at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Chicago on May 8, 1965; and

WHEREAS, Mario Perez began practicing law in Chicago at CNA Insurance Co. in 1960; after 9 years, he moved to Woodstock to work at the law offices of Josyln and Green and then started a private practice that continued until 2012; and

WHEREAS, Mario Perez was a member of the McHenry and Lake County bar associations and was a founding member of the Mexican American Lawyers Association and the Latin American Bar Association, which is know known as the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois; he was involved in many organizations aimed at promoting people's knowledge and understanding of Hispanic heritage, as well as mental health and human relations issues, including the McHenry County Latino Coalition, McHenry County College Hispanic Advisory Council, founding member of the McHenry County Mental Health Board, McHenry County Human Relations Council (chairman), Consumer Credit Counseling Services, Bull Valley Association, and the Illinois Storytellers Festival; and

WHEREAS, Mario Perez's passions included sports, books, and learning; he had interests in European and Latin American history and culture, anthropology, genealogy, nature, wildlife, fishing, carpentry, wine, family, music, dancing, and getting lost on the back roads of Illinois and Iowa; and

WHEREAS, Mario Perez was preceded in death by his parents, Carmen and Jose Perez; and

WHEREAS, Mario Perez is survived by his wife, Esther; his sons, Paul (Gasia) and David; his daughter, Christine; his 2 grandsons; his sisters, Mamie Guerra and Carmen "Lito" Perez; his brothers, Jesse (Lin) Perez, Ignatius "Nacho" Perez, Russell Perez, and John (Sandy) Williams; and his numerous nieces and nephews; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Mario Perez, and we 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 Mario Perez as an expression of our deepest sympathy.