Full Text of SR0733 101st General Assembly
SR0733 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | 3 | | learn of the death of Michael Gardner Crowell, who passed away | 4 | | on July 15, 2019 at the age of 88; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Michael Crowell was born in Philadelphia to James | 6 | | and Marjorie (Marcy) Crowell on June 17, 1931; he was raised in | 7 | | Riverton, New Jersey and attended Groton School; he graduated | 8 | | from Amherst College in 1953; he later served in the United | 9 | | States Navy as a fighter pilot on the USS Essex; upon his | 10 | | return from military service, he earned his Doctor of | 11 | | Philosophy in English Literature and Linguistics from | 12 | | Northwestern University; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, Michael Crowell built a professional career as a | 14 | | professor of English at Knox College in Galesburg from 1961 | 15 | | until 1996; he was most proud of the Freshman Preceptorial, now | 16 | | the First-Year Preceptorial, an interdisciplinary seminar he | 17 | | developed with colleagues that introduces students to the | 18 | | intellectual excitement of the liberal arts education by | 19 | | exploring classic, existential questions; as a sailor and lover | 20 | | of the sea, Moby Dick was his favorite novel to teach; and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, Michael Crowell loved Walt Whitman's poetry, | 22 | | spoke French, and was a master limerick creator; he was an |
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| 1 | | aficionado of the opera, his dogs, and reading; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Michael Crowell and his wife, Karen, retired to | 3 | | their old Norwegian farm near Washburn, Wisconsin in 2001, | 4 | | where he enjoyed sailing, raising chickens, and visiting with | 5 | | friends and family; he became immersed in the Washburn | 6 | | community as an environmentalist and served on the Bayfield | 7 | | Regional Conservancy Board; though he was raised Episcopalian, | 8 | | he became a devoted member of the Chequamegon Unitarian | 9 | | Universalist Fellowship, where he spoke on the beginnings of | 10 | | the American Unitarian Universalist congregation, offering a | 11 | | personal view that avoided dates and names in favor of | 12 | | analyzing emerging viewpoints, in much the same way he did as a | 13 | | professor; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, Michael Crowell will be remembered for his quick | 15 | | wit, ironic humor, and interest in the environment, as | 16 | | evidenced by his collection of animal feces; he was known for | 17 | | his warm, friendly smile, for his courtesy and respect towards | 18 | | colleagues of all ages, and as a gifted educator who shared his | 19 | | passion for literature with his students; and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, Michael Crowell and his wife, Karen, were grateful | 21 | | to the community they called home for 18 years, establishing | 22 | | the Michael and Karen Ruedi Crowell Fund to address the | 23 | | changing needs of the region served by the Chequamegon Bay Area |
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| 1 | | Community; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Michael Crowell was preceded in death by his | 3 | | parents; his brother, Alexander M. Crowell; his son, Peter M. | 4 | | Crowell; and his first wife, Virginia Huysman; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Michael Crowell is survived by his wife of 44 | 6 | | years, Karen Ruedi Crowell; his sons, James G. (Julie | 7 | | Rademaker) Crowell, John A. (Megan Williamson) Crowell, and | 8 | | Matthew P. (Michelle Frey) Crowell; his daughter-in-law, Wendy | 9 | | MacWilliams; his grandchildren, Peter Crowell Jr., Madeline | 10 | | Crowell, Gavin Crowell-Williamson, M. Gardner Crowell, Erin | 11 | | Crowell, and Thomas Crowell; and his nephew, Thomas P. Crowell; | 12 | | therefore, be it
| 13 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | 14 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 15 | | Michael Gardner Crowell and extend our sincere condolences to | 16 | | his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it | 17 | | further
| 18 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 19 | | presented to the family of Michael Crowell as an expression of | 20 | | our deepest sympathy.
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