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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of our
4former colleague, Ann Stepan of Chicago, who passed away on
5April 17, 2015; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Ann Stepan was born on September 27, 1943, the
7fourth of the 6 children of Robert Ruppe and Eileen Bauser
8Ruppe; she studied at Barat College in Lake Forest; and
 
9    WHEREAS, In 1965, Ann married her soulmate and high school
10sweetheart, Paul H. Stepan, who preceded her in death in 2013;
11for 48 years, they shared an enduring love and marriage; they
12were the loving and beloved parents of Shannon and Paul, and
13the proud grandparents of Ava, Kathleen, Owen, and Emily; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Ann traveled to Selma, Alabama at the age of 21 to
15participate in the historic civil rights march to Montgomery;
16Ann focused her passion for social justice on changing and
17improving the world through her involvement in politics at the
18local, state, and national levels; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Ann Stepan was elected as the first female
20Democratic Committeeman for Chicago's 43rd Ward in 1984 and was
21re-elected in 1988; her ward organization was known as one of

 

 

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1the strongest and most effective in the city; and
 
2    WHEREAS, In 1991, Ann Stepan took office as a member of the
3Illinois House of Representatives, serving the 7th
4Representative District for one term; she co-sponsored the Lead
5Poisoning Prevention Act of 1992 and supported important
6legislation for family leave; her strong advocacy for female
7candidates wove into her appointment to the House; the election
8of Dawn Clark Netsch as Comptroller in 1990, the first woman
9elected to statewide office and a trailblazer for female
10candidates in Illinois, led to a vacancy that Ann filled ably
11and with devotion to her constituents; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Ann Stepan worked to help elect Democratic
13candidates across the nation; in 1988, she was elected to
14Illinois' Democratic National Committee delegation and served
15as an Illinois delegate to the 2000 Democratic National
16Convention; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Ann was a strong devotee of the arts, serving as a
18Trustee of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and
19collector of modern art; a devout Catholic, Ann was an active
20member of Saint Clement Parish and instrumental in leading the
21fundraising effort for needed church renovations; therefore,
22be it
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
3mourn the passing of Ann Stepan, and extend our sincere
4condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved
5her; and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7presented to the family of Ann Stepan as an expression of our
8deepest sympathy.