SR1254 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Tom Meyer of Rockford; and

WHEREAS, Tom Meyer was a Rockford native; he was a graduate of Auburn High School, Illinois State University, and the John Marshall Law School in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, In 1979, Tom Meyer won a seat on the Rockford City Council as Third Ward alderman, replacing future Mayor John McNamara; in 1981, he helped McNamara in his successful bid for mayor; during his tenure on the City Council, he helped negotiate with Democrats and Republicans to get ordinances passed as the City made its way out of the early 1980s recession that pushed the Rockford jobless rate at one point to 25%; and

WHEREAS, After serving 2 terms as alderman, Tom Meyer became a political savant, helping with Mayor McNamara's reelection in 1985; he subsequently worked on the 3 mayoral campaigns of Charles Box and the mayoral campaign of Doug Scott; he most recently served as an adviser to the successful City Council bid of Tom McNamara, the son of John McNamara; and

WHEREAS, Tom Meyer served as an attorney for 38 years with several different partners; most recently, he worked at Meyer and Horning, a full-service law firm representing corporations, small businesses, and entrepreneurs in areas of real estate, personal injury, and family law; for more than 20 years, he spent much of his time representing the Rockford Housing Authority; the past 5 years of his practice included his son, Nicholas; and

WHEREAS, Tom Meyer was an avid Chicago White Sox fan who coached youth soccer, basketball, and baseball games when he was younger and played thousands of rounds of golf; and

WHEREAS, Tom Meyer is survived by his mother, Ellen; his wife, Lydia, whom he married in 1993; his sons, Nathan, Nicholas, and Noah; 6 grandchildren; 2 brothers; and his sister; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his family and friends, mourn the passing of Tom Meyer; and be it further

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