Full Text of SR0592 95th General Assembly
SR0592 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| SENATE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to honor | 3 |
| the life of former Illinois State Representative and Senator | 4 |
| Adeline Geo-Karis of Zion, who passed away on February 10, | 5 |
| 2008; and
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| WHEREAS, Senator Adeline Geo-Karis was an exemplary | 7 |
| lawmaker who was held in the highest regard for her | 8 |
| thirty-three years of public service in the Illinois General | 9 |
| Assembly, which commenced in the Illinois House of | 10 |
| Representatives and concluded in the Illinois Senate; and
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| WHEREAS, Senator Geo-Karis was known as the beloved | 12 |
| matriarch of the Senate Chamber and was particularly honored to | 13 |
| be recognized as the Dean of the Senate; she was known for her | 14 |
| many years of devoted and highly respected service to her State | 15 |
| and her country; and | 16 |
| WHEREAS, Senator Adeline Geo-Karis was born on March 29, | 17 |
| 1918, in Tegeas, Greece; she came to the United States in 1922; | 18 |
| in the course of her illustrious life, she became well known as | 19 |
| a proud American, political pioneer, and beloved public | 20 |
| steward; and
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| WHEREAS, Senator Adeline Geo-Karis attended Northwestern |
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| University; she received her L.L.B. from DePaul University and | 2 |
| was the only female in her class; and
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| WHEREAS, Senator Adeline Geo-Karis devoted many decades to | 4 |
| improving the lives of the people of Lake County, working hard | 5 |
| throughout her lengthy career to advance the public good and | 6 |
| safeguard freedom; and
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| WHEREAS, Senator Adeline Geo-Karis served as a lieutenant | 8 |
| commander with Top Secret Clearance in the United States Naval | 9 |
| Reserves, an Assistant State's Attorney, a Justice of the | 10 |
| Peace, Mayor of Zion, a State Representative, and a State | 11 |
| Senator; and
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| WHEREAS, Senator Adeline Geo-Karis headed her own law firm | 13 |
| in Zion; she was a municipal attorney for Mundelein, Vernon | 14 |
| Hills, Libertyville Township, and Long Grove School District, | 15 |
| and was elected Justice of the Peace in Lake County; and | 16 |
| WHEREAS, Senator Adeline Geo-Karis broke down many gender | 17 |
| walls in the course of her career; she was the first woman ever | 18 |
| to be appointed to the position of Assistant State's Attorney | 19 |
| in Lake County; she was the first female to be elected Mayor of | 20 |
| Zion; she went on to become the first Lake County woman elected | 21 |
| to the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois | 22 |
| Senate; and
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| WHEREAS, Senator Adeline Geo-Karis was the first woman in | 2 |
| Illinois' history ever to serve in the Senate Leadership, | 3 |
| serving for ten years as Assistant Senate Majority Leader; and
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| WHEREAS, Senator Adeline Geo-Karis served as the Minority | 5 |
| Spokesman for the Senate Executive Appointments Committee and | 6 |
| was one of only two Republican Senators to serve as | 7 |
| co-chairperson of a committee in the 94th General Assembly; and | 8 |
| WHEREAS, Senator Adeline Geo-Karis was a strong advocate | 9 |
| for veterans; she served as Chairperson of the Senate | 10 |
| Republican Task Force on Veterans, where she worked to protect | 11 |
| our men and women in the Armed Forces; and
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| WHEREAS, Senator Adeline Geo-Karis worked in a bipartisan | 13 |
| manner to enact legislation for strong crime control and to | 14 |
| benefit veterans, senior citizens, children, people with | 15 |
| disabilities, and the working majority; and
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| WHEREAS, Senator Adeline Geo-Karis pioneered legislation | 17 |
| on gasohol, solar energy, and other alternative energy | 18 |
| resources, and she was commended for her sponsorship of the | 19 |
| Nuclear Safety Preparedness Act, the Alternative Energy Act, | 20 |
| and laws to increase safety on Illinois lakes, among many | 21 |
| others; and |
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| WHEREAS, Senator Adeline Geo-Karis successfully sponsored | 2 |
| and supported important crime-control legislation and was a | 3 |
| proud sponsor of the "Guilty but Mentally Ill" law; and
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| WHEREAS, Senator Adeline Geo-Karis was recognized for her | 5 |
| commitment and support of Illinois' business community, senior | 6 |
| citizens, and agriculture, resulting in better lives and more | 7 |
| opportunities for many of her constituents; and
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| WHEREAS, Senator Adeline Geo-Karis' commitment to aiding | 9 |
| and advancing the needs of Illinois' veterans and Armed Forces | 10 |
| was a testament to the highest form of compassion, patriotism, | 11 |
| and human decency; and | 12 |
| WHEREAS, Senator Adeline Geo-Karis was very proud of her | 13 |
| American citizenship, yet cherished her Greek heritage, | 14 |
| working hard to assist and support the Greek community | 15 |
| throughout her public career; and
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| WHEREAS, Senator Adeline Geo-Karis was a member of St. | 17 |
| Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Waukegan; she was past | 18 |
| president of the Parish Board of Trustees and Ladies Auxiliary, | 19 |
| and the former choir director; and
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| WHEREAS, In honor of Senator Adeline Geo-Karis' dedication |
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| to the people of Illinois, the Illinois Beach State Park in | 2 |
| Zion was renamed after her in 2006; and | 3 |
| WHEREAS, The passing of Senator Adeline Geo-Karis will be | 4 |
| mourned greatly by her fellow legislators, admirers, and | 5 |
| constituents, who will fondly remember her for her | 6 |
| intelligence, compassion, and graciousness; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL | 8 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the loss of | 9 |
| Senator Adeline Geo-Karis and honor the memory of this | 10 |
| legendary legislator and her many good deeds; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 12 |
| presented to the family of former Senator Adeline Geo-Karis as | 13 |
| an expression of our respect and as a symbol of our sincere | 14 |
| sympathy.
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