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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Michael Gardner Crowell, who passed away
4on July 15, 2019 at the age of 88; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Michael Crowell was born in Philadelphia to James
6and Marjorie (Marcy) Crowell on June 17, 1931; he was raised in
7Riverton, New Jersey and attended Groton School; he graduated
8from Amherst College in 1953; he later served in the United
9States Navy as a fighter pilot on the USS Essex; upon his
10return from military service, he earned his Doctor of
11Philosophy in English Literature and Linguistics from
12Northwestern University; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Michael Crowell built a professional career as a
14professor of English at Knox College in Galesburg from 1961
15until 1996; he was most proud of the Freshman Preceptorial, now
16the First-Year Preceptorial, an interdisciplinary seminar he
17developed with colleagues that introduces students to the
18intellectual excitement of the liberal arts education by
19exploring classic, existential questions; as a sailor and lover
20of the sea, Moby Dick was his favorite novel to teach; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Michael Crowell loved Walt Whitman's poetry,
22spoke French, and was a master limerick creator; he was an

 

 

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1aficionado of the opera, his dogs, and reading; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Michael Crowell and his wife, Karen, retired to
3their old Norwegian farm near Washburn, Wisconsin in 2001,
4where he enjoyed sailing, raising chickens, and visiting with
5friends and family; he became immersed in the Washburn
6community as an environmentalist and served on the Bayfield
7Regional Conservancy Board; though he was raised Episcopalian,
8he became a devoted member of the Chequamegon Unitarian
9Universalist Fellowship, where he spoke on the beginnings of
10the American Unitarian Universalist congregation, offering a
11personal view that avoided dates and names in favor of
12analyzing emerging viewpoints, in much the same way he did as a
13professor; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Michael Crowell will be remembered for his quick
15wit, ironic humor, and interest in the environment, as
16evidenced by his collection of animal feces; he was known for
17his warm, friendly smile, for his courtesy and respect towards
18colleagues of all ages, and as a gifted educator who shared his
19passion for literature with his students; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Michael Crowell and his wife, Karen, were grateful
21to the community they called home for 18 years, establishing
22the Michael and Karen Ruedi Crowell Fund to address the
23changing needs of the region served by the Chequamegon Bay Area

 

 

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1Community; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Michael Crowell was preceded in death by his
3parents; his brother, Alexander M. Crowell; his son, Peter M.
4Crowell; and his first wife, Virginia Huysman; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Michael Crowell is survived by his wife of 44
6years, Karen Ruedi Crowell; his sons, James G. (Julie
7Rademaker) Crowell, John A. (Megan Williamson) Crowell, and
8Matthew P. (Michelle Frey) Crowell; his daughter-in-law, Wendy
9MacWilliams; his grandchildren, Peter Crowell Jr., Madeline
10Crowell, Gavin Crowell-Williamson, M. Gardner Crowell, Erin
11Crowell, and Thomas Crowell; and his nephew, Thomas P. Crowell;
12therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
14ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
15Michael Gardner Crowell and extend our sincere condolences to
16his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
17further
 
18    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19presented to the family of Michael Crowell as an expression of
20our deepest sympathy.