Full Text of SR0104 101st General Assembly
SR0104 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 Robert Birney, who passed away on | 4 | | September 25, 2018 at the age of 77; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Robert Birney was born in Freeport, Ohio on | 6 | | October 19, 1940; he helped his father run the family's | 7 | | ancestral farm that grew into a large-scale turkey ranch; | 8 | | during these early years, he developed the remarkable ability | 9 | | to fix anything and everything, a skill that made him the "just | 10 | | ask Bob" resource for his neighbors and friends; he graduated | 11 | | from Kent State University with a degree in journalism in 1962; | 12 | | during college, he served as the vice president of the student | 13 | | council for three years, president of the interfraternity | 14 | | council, and chair of the student faculty union; he also worked | 15 | | part-time as a reporter and photographer at the university and | 16 | | for several area newspapers; he then received a graduate | 17 | | assistantship and continued his education at the University of | 18 | | Vermont, where he studied political science; and
| 19 | | WHEREAS, Robert Birney held a full-time position in | 20 | | institutional research at the University of Vermont; he then | 21 | | accepted a position at SUNY Albany, New York, where he launched | 22 | | his lifelong career in designing computer-based information | 23 | | systems; he held leadership positions at DePaul University, |
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| 1 | | American Hospital Supply-Baxter International, and Phillip | 2 | | Morris-Kraft Inc.; he was also a consultant for Deloitte & | 3 | | Touche, where he managed a broad range of corporate and | 4 | | government engagements, both locally and nationally; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Robert Birney served in the National Guard and met | 6 | | his wife, Hilda, while in New York; they married in 1969 and | 7 | | moved to Oak Park in 1972; they bought an E.E. Roberts house | 8 | | surrounded by gardens that they developed over the years; after | 9 | | retirement, he became more engaged with his gardens; he created | 10 | | a large koi pond that was featured one year on the annual Oak | 11 | | Park and River Forest Garden Walk; he later converted it to an | 12 | | eco-friendly water retention reservoir; when a 100-year-old | 13 | | elm tree in his back yard died, he created a 12'x12' pergola to | 14 | | provide shaded seating; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, Robert Birney enjoyed traveling, was an avid | 16 | | reader, a news follower, especially the New York Times, and a | 17 | | stock trader; feeding his lifelong thirst for knowledge and | 18 | | insatiable inquisitiveness in how things worked, he was a | 19 | | relentless collector of hand tools and found objects that he | 20 | | restored or repurposed; and
| 21 | | WHEREAS, Engaging and entertaining, Robert Birney was a | 22 | | humorous storyteller; those who loved him will fondly remember | 23 | | the time at a local seafaring restaurant across the street from |
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| 1 | | Nantasket Beach; his wit and delight made the evening a special | 2 | | party for all; and
| 3 | | WHEREAS, Robert Birney is survived by his wife, Hilda, and | 4 | | his brother, Stanley; therefore, be it
| 5 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | 6 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 7 | | Robert Birney and extend our sincere condolences to his family, | 8 | | friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further
| 9 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 10 | | presented to the family of Robert Birney as an expression of | 11 | | our deepest sympathy.
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