HR0420 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0420 LRB099 12101 GRL 34781 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of our former colleague, Ann Stepan of Chicago, who passed away on April 17, 2015; and

WHEREAS, Ann Stepan was born on September 27, 1943, the fourth of the 6 children of Robert Ruppe and Eileen Bauser Ruppe; she studied at Barat College in Lake Forest; and

WHEREAS, In 1965, Ann married her soulmate and high school sweetheart, Paul H. Stepan, who preceded her in death in 2013; for 48 years, they shared an enduring love and marriage; they were the loving and beloved parents of Shannon and Paul, and the proud grandparents of Ava, Kathleen, Owen, and Emily; and

WHEREAS, Ann traveled to Selma, Alabama at the age of 21 to participate in the historic civil rights march to Montgomery; Ann focused her passion for social justice on changing and improving the world through her involvement in politics at the local, state, and national levels; and

WHEREAS, Ann Stepan was elected as the first female Democratic Committeeman for Chicago's 43rd Ward in 1984 and was re-elected in 1988; her ward organization was known as one of the strongest and most effective in the city; and

WHEREAS, In 1991, Ann Stepan took office as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, serving the 7th Representative District for one term; she co-sponsored the Lead Poisoning Prevention Act of 1992 and supported important legislation for family leave; her strong advocacy for female candidates wove into her appointment to the House; the election of Dawn Clark Netsch as Comptroller in 1990, the first woman elected to statewide office and a trailblazer for female candidates in Illinois, led to a vacancy that Ann filled ably and with devotion to her constituents; and

WHEREAS, Ann Stepan worked to help elect Democratic candidates across the nation; in 1988, she was elected to Illinois' Democratic National Committee delegation and served as an Illinois delegate to the 2000 Democratic National Convention; and

WHEREAS, Ann was a strong devotee of the arts, serving as a Trustee of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and collector of modern art; a devout Catholic, Ann was an active member of Saint Clement Parish and instrumental in leading the fundraising effort for needed church renovations; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Ann Stepan, and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Ann Stepan as an expression of our deepest sympathy.