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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of former
4 State Representative Gene L. Hoffman, formerly of Elmhurst, who
5 served the 40th District from 1966 to 1990, and who passed away
6 on December 28, 2007; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Mr. Hoffman was born on a farm in Canton on
8 September 26, 1932; his family moved to Belvidere, where his
9 parents continued their dual professions of farming and
10 teaching; he went to Illinois State University, where he was
11 captain of the championship wrestling team, co-captain of the
12 football team, and was elected president of the junior class;
13 he met his first wife, Diana, at the school and they were
14 married in 1954; she passed away in 1990; and
 
15     WHEREAS, He graduated from Illinois State University in
16 1954 and he was drafted into the United States Army; he served
17 for two years in Germany; after his discharge, Mr. Hoffman and
18 his wife moved to Wood Dale, then Elmhurst, and raised four
19 children; he received his Master's degree and Doctorate from
20 Northern Illinois University; and
 
21     WHEREAS, Mr. Hoffman fulfilled his legislative duties and
22 also taught social studies and was department chairman at

 

 

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1 Fenton High School in Bensenville; fondly known as "Mr.
2 Education", he was the leading authority on education, school
3 finance, and school issues in Springfield; as co-chairman of
4 the Commission on Improvement of Elementary and Secondary
5 Education, Mr. Hoffman helped author Senate Bill 730, that put
6 into place practices that are now standard in today's public
7 schools, such as district report cards, statewide student
8 assessment exams, tests for basic skills for
9 teacher-certificate applicants, and teacher evaluations; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Mr. Hoffman was chairman of the School Problems
11 Commission from 1971 to 1973 and again from 1978 to 1984; the
12 commission was made up of members of both political parties as
13 well as members of the public, and became the first stop for
14 legislation dealing with education; and
 
15     WHEREAS, During his time in the General Assembly, Mr.
16 Hoffman was vice chairman of the Joint House/Senate Committee
17 on Education Reform, vice chairman of the Task Force on
18 Education for Employment, vice chairman of the Assembly
19 Retirement System, and chairman of the governor's task force on
20 pension funding; and
 
21     WHEREAS, His dedication to teaching and education earned
22 him recognition from organizations such as Northern Illinois
23 University, who awarded him the Distinguished Alumni Award; in

 

 

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1 addition, he received the "A-Plus Award" from the Illinois
2 Education Association, the Legislator of the Year Award from
3 the National Republican Legislators Association, and the Large
4 Unit Education District Association's Mr. Education Award; and
 
5     WHEREAS, After his service concluded in the Illinois House,
6 Mr. Hoffman worked as a lobbyist for the Chicago Board of
7 Education, the DuPage County Forest Preserve, the Lake County
8 Forest Preserve, and the RTA before the General Assembly; and
 
9     WHEREAS, In 1993, he married Sally Dingman; and
 
10     WHEREAS, The passing of Gene Hoffman will be deeply felt by
11 his wife, Sally; his sons, Greg and Mark; his daughters, Lynn
12 Price and Sue Scharffenberger; his stepsons, Mark Morley and
13 Steven Morley; his stepdaughter, Kimberly Morley; his sisters,
14 JoEllen Scambler and Jane Schleeter; and his nineteen
15 grandchildren; therefore, be it
 
16     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
17 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
18 mourn the passing of our former colleague and friend and extend
19 our sincere condolences to his family at this time; and be it
20 further
 
21     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be

 

 

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1 presented to the family of Gene L. Hoffman as an expression of
2 our sympathy.