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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | ||||||
3 | learn of the death of Deverra Beverly of Chicago; and
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4 | WHEREAS, Deverra Beverly was born to Clyde Archibald and | ||||||
5 | Priscilla Foster; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Deverra Beverly was a lifelong resident of the | ||||||
7 | ABLA Homes; she has become synonymous with her tireless efforts | ||||||
8 | to improve the quality of life in public housing; she often | ||||||
9 | went into action when a resident of public housing experienced | ||||||
10 | the loss of a loved-one and ensured grief-stricken families had | ||||||
11 | access to the ABLA Center; she was a teacher, confidant, and | ||||||
12 | role model for many of the professional, administrative, and | ||||||
13 | maintenance staff of the Chicago Housing Authority and private | ||||||
14 | management firms; and
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15 | WHEREAS, Deverra Beverly's commitment to public housing | ||||||
16 | came out of her having lived in public housing all of her life; | ||||||
17 | she moved into the ABLA Homes with her family in 1943; she held | ||||||
18 | numerous resident leadership positions within public housing | ||||||
19 | such as Vice-Chair and Interim Chair of the Central Advisory | ||||||
20 | Council, President and Treasurer of the ABLA Homes Local | ||||||
21 | Advisory Council, and Commissioner of the Chicago Housing | ||||||
22 | Authority, appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley in 2009; and
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1 | WHEREAS, Deverra Beverly was the founding Chair of the | ||||||
2 | National Public Housing Museum; it was her vision and | ||||||
3 | commitment to create a world-class cultural and academic | ||||||
4 | institution that will forever preserve the stories of public | ||||||
5 | and social housing nationally and abroad; and | ||||||
6 | WHEREAS, Deverra Beverly implemented and coordinated many | ||||||
7 | programs, including a summer youth employment program, a | ||||||
8 | resident employment program, the "Safe Passage Program", the | ||||||
9 | annual ABLA Day gathering and picnic, income tax assistance | ||||||
10 | programs for seniors, a children's after school food supplement | ||||||
11 | program, "The Employability Plus" program", and "The After | ||||||
12 | School Matters" program; she produced and recruited for the | ||||||
13 | motion picture "Hardball" which was filmed within the ABLA | ||||||
14 | community and spearheaded Mayor Daley's Annual Clean and Green | ||||||
15 | Program; and | ||||||
16 | WHEREAS, Deverra Beverly was preceded in death by her | ||||||
17 | husband, William Pickens; her daughter, Christine Beverly; her | ||||||
18 | son, Eugene Beverly; and her grandson, Keith Rawls; and
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19 | WHEREAS, Deverra Beverly is survived by her sons, Kenneth, | ||||||
20 | Levert, Melvin, and William; her sisters, Rosetta and Mary Lou; | ||||||
21 | her grandchildren, Keith, Keni, Shonda, Tamika, Jeremy, Gwen, | ||||||
22 | Lamont, Daryl, Yolanda, Shevonne, Levert Jr., Salina, and |
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1 | Lakendra; a host of great-grandchildren; and a huge extended | ||||||
2 | family and special friends; therefore, be it
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3 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL | ||||||
4 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
5 | Deverra Beverly and extend our sincere condolences to her | ||||||
6 | family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it | ||||||
7 | further
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8 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
9 | presented to the family of Deverra Beverly as an expression of | ||||||
10 | our deepest sympathy and in recognition of all she has | ||||||
11 | contributed to the people of the ABLA Homes.
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