SR0212 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0212 LRB099 11402 MST 32273 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of the Rev. Keith Johnson of New York, New York, who passed away on February 24, 2015; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Johnson was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1961 to Minnie and Robert Johnson; he graduated from Rantoul High School in 1979 and from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor's degree in political science; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Johnson began working with the United States Social Security Administration in Detroit, Michigan and Key West, Florida; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Johnson married Ginny O'Hare in 1998; he and his family moved to Alexandria, Virginia so he could attend the Virginia Theological Seminary; while in Virginia, he coached Pop Warner and freshman and junior-varsity football; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Johnson was ordained in 2001; he began serving as rector of the Church of St. Matthew's and as an assistant at St. Paul's Church, both in Delray Beach, Florida; from 2003 to 2008, he served as rector of St. Andrew's in Ben Lomond, California, and while there he served on the board of Valley Church United Missions; he then became an assistant priest at Holy Trinity in Clearwater, Florida and then at St. Luke's in New Orleans, before serving at Harlem's St. Philip's Church beginning in 2012; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Johnson ministered to parolees at the Harlem Community Justice Center; he established "Warriors of a Dream", a neighborhood anti-violence youth initiative, and a local chapter of Integrity LGBT at St. Philip's Church; he rode on the Episcopal float in the annual Greenwich Village Gay Pride Parade and helped provide meals to the homeless in Marcus Garvey Park on Sundays; he was one of 6 fellows in the Faith and Justice Fellowship program under the Federation of Protestant Welfare and Agencies and New York Theological Seminary; and

WHEREAS, Rev. Johnson is survived by his wife, Ginny; his step-children, Edward and Sarah; his parents; his sister, Eliska and her husband, Marco Paratore; and his extended family; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of the Rev. Keith Johnson, and 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 Rev. Johnson as an expression of our deepest sympathy.