Full Text of SR0852 101st General Assembly
SR0852 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 Kenneth "Ken" Behrens of Bloomington, who | 4 | | passed away on December 1, 2019; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Ken Behrens was born in Chicago Heights to Norbert | 6 | | A. and Irene E. Behrens on June 11, 1948; he graduated from | 7 | | Illinois State University in 1970, where he was the program | 8 | | director at WGLT his senior year; he married Cynthia Hoefler on | 9 | | December 23, 1979; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, Ken Behrens joined WJBC and hosted the popular, | 11 | | top-rated Ken Behrens Show for over 32 years; he was a gifted | 12 | | comedian and entertainer; his stand-up comedy was enjoyed | 13 | | nationwide, from the Comedy Store in Los Angeles to the Sabre | 14 | | Room in Chicago; he always kept his family and friends | 15 | | entertained; he was also an accomplished piano player; he | 16 | | hosted a local CNN news show for two years and worked in | 17 | | marketing for People's Bank and with Connoisseur Media, where | 18 | | one year he won Connoisseur's National Salesperson of the Year; | 19 | | and
| 20 | | WHEREAS, Ken Behrens appeared in several plays at Conklin's | 21 | | Barn Dinner Theatre in Goodfield and was the house emcee at | 22 | | Peoria's Madison Theater, where he appeared with Drew Carey; he |
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| 1 | | also appeared at the Palmer House in Chicago; he was proud of | 2 | | an original joke that was published in Reader's Digest and | 3 | | later included in a "Best Of" compilation; over the decades, he | 4 | | interviewed countless celebrities, authors, actors, and | 5 | | comedians; he retired in 2002; that same year, the Illinois | 6 | | House of Representatives declared March 1 as Ken Behrens Day; | 7 | | and | 8 | | WHEREAS, In recent years, Ken Behrens was often behind the | 9 | | wheel of his antique Ford automobiles; he was active with the | 10 | | Prairie State Model T Club and in the McLean County Antique Car | 11 | | Club, where he served as president and vice president; and | 12 | | WHEREAS, Ken Behrens enjoyed black-and-white films from | 13 | | the Golden Age of cinema, all things Disney, Jack Benny, and | 14 | | Laurel and Hardy; he belonged to the IATSE Local 193, the | 15 | | International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees and | 16 | | Motion Picture Operators of the United States and Canada; for | 17 | | many years, he showed movies at Capen Auditorium on the | 18 | | Illinois State University campus; and
| 19 | | WHEREAS, Ken Behrens was preceded in death by his parents; | 20 | | and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, Ken Behrens is survived by his wife, Cynthia; his | 22 | | daughters, Katherine (Matt) Shanks and Kimberly (Andrew) |
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| 1 | | Kaufman; his grandson, Kevin Kaufman; his aunt, Leora Cross; | 2 | | and numerous cousins, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, | 3 | | and nephews; therefore, be it
| 4 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | 5 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 6 | | Kenneth "Ken" Behrens and extend our sincere condolences to his | 7 | | family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it | 8 | | further
| 9 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 10 | | presented to the family of Ken Behrens as an expression of our | 11 | | deepest sympathy.
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