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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Irene (nee Witek) Charcut of North
4Chicago, who passed away on May 9, 2015; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Irene Charcut was born in Chicago on August 24,
61919 to Michael and Angela (nee Michna) Witek; she attended
7Holy Rosary School and Waukegan High School; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Irene Charcut was employed at Sager Lock and
9Johnson Motors prior to enlisting in the Women's Army Air Corps
10in 1943; as a non-commissioned officer, she volunteered for
11overseas duty in 1945 and served in England and France; her
12nights in London were spent in underground shelters listening
13to air raid alarms and buzz bombs; after completing 3 years,
14she was discharged in 1946; she returned to Johnson Motors and
15attended Lake County Business College; she married Edward
16Charcut on August 15, 1948; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Irene Charcut's community service includes: Past
18President and longtime member of Catholic Women's Club; the
19School Board at Holy Family Parish; the Parish Council,
20Spiritual Life Commission, and choir at Queen of Peace Church;
21volunteer with the American Cancer Society and Chair of Annual
22Fund Drives; volunteer wheeler at Veteran's Hospital Chapel

 

 

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1(more than 3,300 hours); minister of communion to the sick and
2homebound; Greater North Chicago Senior Citizen Club; Post 1122
3American Legion; and Polish Legion of American Veterans, USA;
4and
 
5    WHEREAS, For decades on a pro bono basis, Irene Charcut
6assisted thousands of Polish immigrants who lovingly called her
7"ciocia" (auntie); she also served as an interpreter at a local
8bank for 17 years; she became the first female Lake County
9World War II veteran to participate in an Honor Flight to
10Washington, D.C. in October of 2014; during the flight's mail
11call, she received 140 letters thanking her for her service; in
12November of 2014, the North Chicago City Council honored Irene
13with their Senior Citizen Hall of Fame award in recognition of
14more than 70 years of exemplary contributions and volunteer
15service to the local community; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Irene Charcut was preceded in death by her
17parents; her husband of 37 years, Edward Charcut; her brother,
18Joseph Witek; and her sister and brother-in-law, Lottie and
19Matthew Siwula; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Irene Charcut is survived by her children, Paul
21(Mary Jo), Maria (Doug) Rector, Peter, and Philip (Pam); her 8
22grandchildren, Nicholas (Kinlin), Jolene, and Chaz (Brittany)
23Charcut, Catherine, Mary, and James Rector, and Andrew and Cory

 

 

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1Charcut; her great-grandchildren, Brady, Beason, Layla, and
2Cain; her foster children, John Burby, Mary Ann (Burby) Davis,
3and Patty (Burhman) Thompson; therefore, be it
 
4    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
5ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
6Irene Charcut, and extend our sincere condolences to her
7family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it
8further
 
9    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
10presented to the family of Irene Charcut as an expression of
11our deepest sympathy.