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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened | ||||||
| 3 | to learn of the death of Shirley Spear of Oak Park, who passed | ||||||
| 4 | away on December 22, 2023 at the age of 94; and | ||||||
| 5 | WHEREAS, Shirley Spear was born to Vernon and Mary Wagner | ||||||
| 6 | in Seneca County, Ohio in June 1929; and | ||||||
| 7 | WHEREAS, Shirley Spear graduated from Old Fort High School | ||||||
| 8 | and attended Bowling Green State University; and | ||||||
| 9 | WHEREAS, Shirley Spear met her husband, Walter Spear, at | ||||||
| 10 | Bowling Green State University, and they raised two children | ||||||
| 11 | together in Cleveland, where she taught; and | ||||||
| 12 | WHEREAS, Shirley Spear and her husband then moved to | ||||||
| 13 | Nashville, Tennessee in 1979, where they enjoyed sailing on | ||||||
| 14 | Kentucky Lake; they also spent many winters chartering | ||||||
| 15 | sailboats in the Virgin Islands with other couples; and | ||||||
| 16 | WHEREAS, Shirley Spear taught in Michigan, Tennessee, and | ||||||
| 17 | Ohio; she also worked as a camp song director and a tour guide | ||||||
| 18 | at Nashville's Parthenon; and | ||||||
| 19 | WHEREAS, Shirley Spear enjoyed singing throughout her life | ||||||
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| 1 | as a member of church and college choirs; while living in | ||||||
| 2 | Nashville, she was a member of the Nashville Symphony; and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, Shirley Spear was an active volunteer with her | ||||||
| 4 | church, the YWCA, the League of Women Voters, and the American | ||||||
| 5 | Red Cross; and | ||||||
| 6 | WHEREAS, Shirley Spear moved to Oak Park in 2003 to be near | ||||||
| 7 | family; she became a member of the River Forest United | ||||||
| 8 | Methodist Church, participating in the choir; and | ||||||
| 9 | WHEREAS, Shirley Spear spent her time in Oak Park tutoring | ||||||
| 10 | English as a Second Language, as well as writing a newsletter | ||||||
| 11 | for the Brookdale retirement home and serving on their | ||||||
| 12 | Resident Board of Directors; and | ||||||
| 13 | WHEREAS, Shirley Spear was preceded in death by her | ||||||
| 14 | husband of 39 years, Walter; her brother, Ellis (Judy); and | ||||||
| 15 | her sister, Annette (Bill Franklin); and | ||||||
| 16 | WHEREAS, Shirley Spear is survived by her children, Greg | ||||||
| 17 | (Mary Kelly) and Jill Spear; five grandchildren; and four | ||||||
| 18 | great-grandchildren; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 19 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | ||||||
| 20 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
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| 1 | Shirley Spear and extend our sincere condolences to her | ||||||
| 2 | family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it | ||||||
| 3 | further | ||||||
| 4 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 5 | presented to the family of Shirley Spear as an expression of | ||||||
| 6 | our deepest sympathy. | ||||||