Full Text of HR1301 94th General Assembly
HR1301 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of | 3 |
| State of Illinois were deeply saddened to learn of the death of | 4 |
| Berardo J. "Dee" DeSimone Sr. of Elmhurst, the former regional | 5 |
| superintendent of schools in DuPage County, on April 29, 2006; | 6 |
| and
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| WHEREAS, Mr. DeSimone was born on July 7, 1925, to Italian | 8 |
| immigrant parents in Chicago, where he was raised; he attended | 9 |
| Crane Tech High School; after his graduation in 1944, he | 10 |
| attended Iowa State University on a football scholarship and | 11 |
| received his associate's degree in education; he also played | 12 |
| baseball and was drafted by the Boston Red Sox; and
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| WHEREAS, While at Iowa State, Mr. DeSimone suffered an | 14 |
| injury and returned home, where he attended DePaul University; | 15 |
| from 1948 through 1950 he was a teacher with the Chicago Board | 16 |
| of Education; he earned his bachelor of science degree in | 17 |
| education at DePaul in 1949; he went on to receive his | 18 |
| doctorate from Rhode Island University and completed | 19 |
| coursework at Northwestern University, Northern Illinois | 20 |
| University, and Loyola University; and
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| WHEREAS, Mr. DeSimone was drafted into the U.S. Army in | 22 |
| 1950; a year later, while on leave, he married Sally Rose | 23 |
| DeLuca, whom he met while dancing at the Paradise Ballroom; | 24 |
| after his Army service, he joined Berkeley School District 87 | 25 |
| in 1952; and
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| WHEREAS, Mr. DeSimone served the District a total of 22 | 27 |
| years, as teacher, assistant principal, director of the | 28 |
| physical education department, assistant superintendent, | 29 |
| business manager, and superintendent; while serving as a | 30 |
| principal in 1958, shortly after the Our Lady of the Angels | 31 |
| fire that killed 92 students and three nuns in Chicago, he |
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| helped develop and write the State's life safety codes; and
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| WHEREAS, Mr. DeSimone joined the Illinois State Board of | 3 |
| Education as an educational specialist in 1974; he became | 4 |
| assistant regional superintendent of schools in DuPage County | 5 |
| in 1976; he was first appointed to the post of regional | 6 |
| superintendent in 1985 and served through 2003; he never faced | 7 |
| an opponent for election or re-election; and
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| WHEREAS, As one of the 45 statewide regional | 9 |
| superintendents, Mr. DeSimone acted as an intermediary between | 10 |
| the 43 county school districts and the Illinois State Board of | 11 |
| Education; he helped shape new programs for the districts, | 12 |
| including the development of the DuPage Area Vocational | 13 |
| Education Association, now the DuPage Area Occupational | 14 |
| Education System; and
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| WHEREAS, Mr. DeSimone also served as chairman of the | 16 |
| Illinois State Board of Education Health and Life Safety | 17 |
| Advisory Board committee and was a former Illinois Building | 18 |
| Commission member; and
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| WHEREAS, The passing of Berardo J. "Dee" DeSimone Sr. is | 20 |
| deeply felt by all who knew and loved him, especially his | 21 |
| children, Berardo Joseph Jr. (Anne) DeSimone, Ave Marie (Gary) | 22 |
| Berkshire, and Neil Francis (Cathy) DeSimone; his | 23 |
| grandchildren, Jorie Schlewitt, Todd, Jay, Carlie, Gary Lee, | 24 |
| Brittnie, Brandon, Nicholas, Bradley, Christian, and Matthew; | 25 |
| his great-grandchildren, Braden, Kamryn, and Nathan; his | 26 |
| sister, Anne; his nieces and nephews, Daniel (Debbie), Joseph | 27 |
| (Chris), Therese (Michael), Deanna (Brian), and David (Linda); | 28 |
| and his friend, Dima; he was preceded in death by his wife; his | 29 |
| son, Joseph; and his brother Dan; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 31 |
| NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that |
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| we mourn the passing of Berardo J. DeSimone Sr., who for more | 2 |
| than 60 years was devoted to educating children and was "here | 3 |
| for the kids", and we extend our sincerest condolences to his | 4 |
| family, friends, and community; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 6 |
| presented to his family as an expression of our deepest | 7 |
| sympathy.
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