HR0608 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0608 LRB102 23574 ECR 32756 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Frederick J. "Fred" Steffen of Elgin, who passed away on December 25, 2021; and

WHEREAS, Fred Steffen was born to Rose and Ezra Steffen in Elgin on August 18, 1934; he graduated from Elgin High School in 1952, where he was a state championship wrestler and homecoming king; he graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and John Marshall Law School; he served in the U.S. Army Infantry in South Korea for two years; and

WHEREAS, Fred Steffen served as an appointed attorney for the Elgin Housing Authority after being sworn in before the U.S. Supreme Court; he provided pro bono services for local churches and social service organizations; with his wife, Judy, he opened and managed the Italian restaurant Cafe Magdalena on Douglas Avenue from 1999 to 2007; and

WHEREAS, Fred Steffen touched the lives of many people with his legal work and involvement in the Elgin community; his steadfast commitment to public service showed in his early advocacy for racial integration, his organization of the area's first Hike for Hunger, and his successful efforts to arrange for the First Congregational Church of Elgin to celebrate their 150th anniversary by investing in the expansion of the Elgin Community Crisis Center; and

WHEREAS, Fred Steffen served as a delegate to the 1970 Illinois Constitution Convention and a Carter delegate at the 1976 Democratic National Convention; he campaigned for U.S. Congress in 1978; he was elected to the Elgin Community College Board of Trustees for a six-year term and served as Kane County Democratic Chairman for 18 years; and

WHEREAS, Fred Steffen sang as a tenor in both the First Congregational Church Choir and the Elgin Choral Union; he loved traveling, visiting every continent except for Africa and Antarctica; he was an avid nature lover who always took the time to learn the names of all the birds and plants around him; and

WHEREAS, Fred Steffen was a beloved mentor to many; he will be remembered for being perpetually enthusiastic and upbeat; and

WHEREAS, Fred Steffen was preceded in death by his wife, Judy Steffen, and his siblings, Anne Carroll, Barbara Phelps, and Garth Steffen; and

WHEREAS, Frederick Steffen is survived by his children, Julie (Detlev Pansch), John (Kerry Kelly), and Bob (Ketki Shroff); his grandchildren, Joan, Chloe, Lili, Abby, Nika, Alyssa, Liam, and Tristan; his siblings, Nate Steffen, Grant Steffen, Lorna Schrock, and Ellie Hanchett; and his beloved dog, Willow; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Frederick J. "Fred" Steffen and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Fred Steffen as an expression of our deepest sympathy.