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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Rev. Dr. Steven Robert Shoemaker, who
4passed away on October 10, 2016 at the age of 73; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Steven Shoemaker was born and raised in Urbana; he
6played trombone and basketball at Urbana High School and
7attended Wheaton College, where he participated in pranks, such
8as padlocking the chapel doors before a service; after becoming
9more serious about his studies, he earned a Master of Divinity
10degree and Master of Sacred Theology degree in 1969 from
11McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago; he later earned a
12Ph.D. in religion from Duke University in 1979; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Steven Shoemaker served as pastor at Pittsboro and
14Mount Vernon Springs Presbyterian churches in Pittsboro, North
15Carolina; he served as campus pastor at North Carolina State
16University and as pastor at McKinley Presbyterian Church in
17Champaign; he finished his career as director of the University
18YMCA at the University of Illinois; he also taught one course a
19semester in religious studies at either Parkland College or the
20University of Illinois; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Steven Shoemaker served as chair of the Committee
22for the Homeless, co-chair of the Men's Emergency Shelter

 

 

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1Steering Committee, member of the Dr. Martin Luther King
2Committee, member of the Muslim Committee, and member of the
3Champaign County Board, the United Way Board, and the local
4ACLU Board; he was also an active Urbana Rotary Club member
5since 1982 and acted as president in 2013; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Steven Shoemaker had a passion for writing,
7particularly poetry; he was nominated to be Illinois Poet
8Laureate in 2003 and was published in a plethora of journals
9ranging from Christian ministry to Judaism; after his cancer
10diagnosis, he published his first book, titled "A Sin A Week",
11and received thousands of Likes for poems posted through social
12media; he also reached out to the community through his weekly
13radio program, "Keepin' The Faith", on WILL AM 580, which
14provided interviews and discussions highlighting relevant
15social topics; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Steven Shoemaker donated his rich bass voice to
17various choirs and was a member of the Real Fire band; he also
18donated his time to be an integral part in the lives of others
19as he joined couples in marriage, performed funerals, and
20provided counseling and support, while never accepting
21payment; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Steven Shoemaker enjoyed spending time with his
23family and taking his children on various trips to baseball

 

 

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1games, museums, and other places; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Steven Shoemaker is survived by his wonderful wife
3of 51 years, Nadja; his children, Daniel (Rachael) and Marla
4(Craig); and his grandchildren, Carter and Grace; therefore, be
5it
 
6    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
7ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his
8family and friends, mourn the passing of Rev. Dr. Steven Robert
9Shoemaker; and be it further
 
10    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
11presented to the family of Steven Shoemaker as an expression of
12our sympathy.