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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Carolyn Hope McMahon of Champaign, who
4passed away on July 7, 2015; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Carolyn McMahon was born in Lansing, Michigan on
6May 17, 1929 to Hope and Ellsworth Reamon and moved shortly
7thereafter to Syracuse, New York; she graduated from St.
8Lawrence University with honors and was certified as a
9religious educator by St. Lawrence Theological School; from
101950 to 1951, she had a Danforth Graduate Fellowship at the
11University of Iowa; she married Walter W. McMahon on June 17,
121951; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Carolyn McMahon was Religious Education Director
14at the Universalist Church in Wausau, Wisconsin while her
15husband served in the military; they lived in London, England,
16while her husband was at the London School of Economics and
17then settled in Urbana in 1957; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Carolyn McMahon continued her first career as
19Director of Religious Education from 1957 through 1963 at the
20Unitarian-Universalist Church in Urbana; she was active in the
21community as rental chair for the Fair Housing Bureau and board
22Chair of the United Nations Association; over the years, she

 

 

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1was a member of the International Women's Year Committee, a
2teacher's aide for blind children, served as a UNICEF Chair,
3the Chair of the Commerce Women's Club Board, and a member of
4the University Newcomer's Board; she and her family's lives
5were greatly enriched by living abroad during successive
6sabbaticals in London; Washington, D.C.; Paris; Rotterdam;
7Stockholm; and Rottingdean, England; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Carolyn McMahon's second career began after she
9completed her master's degree in library science at the
10University of Illinois and became librarian at King School in
11Urbana from 1976 to 1978 and then librarian at the National
12Council of Teachers of English from 1981 through 1996; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Carolyn McMahon and her husband enjoyed their
14travels together throughout Europe, Africa, Nepal, Thailand,
15Indonesia, Australia, Japan, China, Central America, Chile,
16and Argentina, and winter vacations in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico;
17she cherished the annual family reunion each August and was
18active in many social groups; she was an avid reader and
19passionate gardener, and enjoyed entertaining and spending
20time with her wonderful family; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Carolyn McMahon is survived by her husband,
22Walter; her sister, Judy Ingison; her daughter, Lynn Hanson and
23Lynn's husband, Michael; her daughter, Vicki Avril and Vicki's

 

 

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1husband, Gary; her son, Christopher McMahon and Christopher's
2wife, Katherine; her daughter, Jennifer Ellis and Jennifer's
3husband, Jon; her 9 grandchildren; her 4 great-grandchildren;
4and her 4 nieces and nephews and their families; therefore, be
5it
 
6    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
7ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
8Carolyn Hope McMahon, and extend our sincere condolences to her
9family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it
10further
 
11    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
12presented to the family of Carolyn McMahon as an expression of
13our deepest sympathy.