HR0348 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0348 LRB098 11531 GRL 43764 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate our friend and former colleague, John Thomas Doody, Jr., on the occasion of his retirement as a Cook County Circuit Court Judge after many years of service; and

WHEREAS, John Doody, Jr. was born on January 15, 1945, in Evergreen Park, and moved to Homewood shortly thereafter; he graduated from Mendel Catholic High School in 1962 and earned his bachelor's degree from Procopius College (now Benedictine University) in 1966; he pursued his graduate degree studies in political science at Illinois State University from 1966 to 1968 and at John Marshall Law School in 1974 and worked on his post-graduate program in political justice studies at Governors State University from 1998 to 2002; and

WHEREAS, John Doody, Jr. and his wife, Janet, are from Homewood; they are the parents of Maureen and John and the grandparents of 2 boys and 2 girls; and

WHEREAS, John Doody, Jr. was a practicing attorney from 1974 to 2002, giving free legal advice for many years to senior citizens through a program at the Irwin Center in Homewood; and

WHEREAS, John Doody, Jr. has served with distinction in all three branches of government, having been elected to serve in his village as president, as well as his township and the Illinois General Assembly; he has also served his community through his church (Auxiliary Minister of Communion and Minister of Care at his parish church, St. Joseph's), civic and advocacy groups, veterans' organizations, and youth groups; and

WHEREAS, John Doody, Jr. served as a Bloom Township Trustee (1981-1983), a member of the Village of Homewood Plan Commission (1979-1981), a Village of Homewood Trustee (1983-1991), the President of the Village of Homewood (1991-1995), State Representative of the Illinois 37th District (1995-1997), and Trustee of the Homewood Public Library District (1997-2002); and

WHEREAS, John Doody, Jr. has served as a board member of the Illinois Judges Association and a Board Member of the John Marshall Law School Alumni Association; he has been a speaker or panelist at numerous DUI seminars (2004-2006) and has been a faculty member to train judges through the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts; he also co-edited the Chicago Traffic Center Bench Book for Judges; and

WHEREAS, John Doody, Jr. volunteered to serve his country in the United States Army and is a Vietnam veteran (1968-1970); he has also been active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars in the Homewood Wally Burns Post 8077 as a Past Commander, Past Senior Vice Commander, Junior Vice Commander, Adjutant, Judge Advocate, the 16th District VFW Past Commander, and Past Judge Advocate of the State of Illinois VFW; and

WHEREAS, John Doody, Jr. has been active in both Homewood baseball and softball as a sponsor, an umpire, and assistant coach, as well as an assistant basketball coach for both boys and girls; he served as director of the South Cook County Girl Scouts Council; he has served in various leadership positions of the Rotary Club of Homewood; he was also a former director of the South Region Visual Arts Guild, a past Chair of the Board of Trustees of Seton Academy, a past Director of the Mercy Health Care and Rehabilitation Center, and a member of the Marian Council #3761 Knights of Columbus in Homewood; and

WHEREAS, John Doody, Jr. has additionally served his community through his good work with Happiday Centers (South Star Services), Haymarket House, Homewood Chamber of Commerce, Abby Foundation, Homewood-Flossmoor League of Women Voters, Crisis Center for South Suburbia, Homewood-Flossmoor-Glenwood Jaycees, and the Homewood Historical Society; and

WHEREAS, John Doody, Jr. was inaugurated to the Village of Homewood Hall of Fame in 2007; he has also been honored with awards from many organizations, including the Dianne G. Masters Award from the Crisis Center for South Suburbia, the Homewood Police Department Appreciation Award, the Homewood-Flossmoor Lion's Club Distinguished Service Award, the Illinois Benedictine College (Benedictine University) Bronze Award, and awards from the Illinois and Northeast Region Jaycees; and

WHEREAS, John Doody, Jr. served as a Cook County Circuit Court Judge from 2002 until his retirement this year; he served with distinction in both traffic court and criminal court; and

WHEREAS, In an effort to better serve the public, John Doody, Jr. produced educational cable television programs on traffic law violations and their consequences; he also learned Spanish to communicate with people who came before him without needing an interpreter; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate our former colleague, John Thomas Doody, Jr., on the occasion of his retirement from the bench, and wish him many more years of health, happiness, and good service to his community; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to John Doody, Jr. as an expression of our deepest gratitude for his many years of public service.