SR2243 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR2243 LRB100 24392 MST 43727 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of former Illinois State Senator Thomas Lee "Tom" Johnson of West Chicago, who passed away on December 3, 2018; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Johnson was born in Oakland, California to Wallace and Raechel (Oslund) Johnson on April 30, 1945; he graduated from Oak Lawn Community High School in 1963 and served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1968, which included a tour of duty in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968; he received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Michigan in 1970 and a Juris Doctor from the DePaul University College of Law in 1974; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Johnson joined the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office as Assistant State's Attorney, where he became chief of the White Collar Crime Division; in 1979, he co-founded a private practice in Wheaton, Johnson & Westra; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Johnson was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1993, and served the 50th District until 2003; he chaired the Judiciary Committee and was co-chairman of the Illinois Prison Reform Committee; from 2011 to 2013, he represented the 48th District as a Illinois State Senator; he was an effective legislator, known for consistently and respectfully reaching across the aisle to find common ground; he supported the sanctity of life, the family, and the dignity of every person; he was a tireless advocate for the incarcerated and former inmates; he was a vocal proponent of legislation which abolished the death penalty in Illinois; after elective office, he was appointed by the governor to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, where he served for 14 years; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Johnson served on the boards of the Missionary Furlough Homes Foundation, the Greater Europe Mission, the Illinois Juvenile Justice Initiative, Wheaton Youth Outreach, and the advisory board of Illinois Citizens for Life; he and his wife, Ginger, welcomed refugees from Ukraine, Iraq, and Hurricane Katrina into their home, often for years at a time; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Johnson enjoyed fishing with his three sons in their backyard along the DuPage River, tooling around his barn workshop, and tending to a menagerie of horses, chickens, geese, and goats; on Saturdays, he could often be found golfing with his sons and friends; for the last 11 summers, Tom and Ginger ran Camp We-Go G-G, a week-long adventure for their grandchildren at their home with no parents allowed; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Johnson was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Elizabeth (Betty) Rae Johnson; and

WHEREAS, Sen. Johnson is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Virginia "Ginger" Van Der Molen Johnson; his sons and their spouses, Soren and Ever (Horan) Johnson and their children, Ever, Owen, Berend, Virginia, and Charlie; Derek Johnson and Carolyn Hutchinson and their children, Vivian and Anders; and Kirk and Marie-Josée (Cantin) Johnson and their children, August and Isidora; his brothers and their spouses, David and Marianne (Hess) Johnson and Paul and Pat (Joslyn) Johnson; 19 nieces and nephews; and 30 great-nieces and nephews; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of former Illinois State Senator Thomas Lee "Tom" Johnson 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 Sen. Johnson as an expression of our deepest sympathy.