State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

   [ Search ]   [ PDF text ]   [ Legislation ]   
[ Home ]   [ Back ]   [ Bottom ]



92_SJ0046

 
                                               LRB9211243WHdv

 1                       SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, The Members of the Illinois General Assembly are
 3    deeply saddened to learn of the death of Patricia  A.  Jones,
 4    beloved  wife  of  Senate Minority Leader Emil Jones, Jr., on
 5    December 2, 2001; and

 6        WHEREAS, She was  born  in  New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  on
 7    August  9,  1938,  the  third  of eleven children of Leon and
 8    Lucille Sterling; and

 9        WHEREAS, Mrs. Jones was educated in the  Catholic  school
10    system  in New Orleans, where she lived and became a teacher;
11    and

12        WHEREAS, As a young adult,  Mrs.  Jones  moved  with  her
13    family  to  Chicago, where she attended Loyola University and
14    graduated from Chicago State University; and

15        WHEREAS, She counted among the  many  accomplishments  in
16    her  life  the  ability  she  had to make a difference in the
17    lives of children as a teacher, a volunteer at  a  local  day
18    care  center  and  as a curriculum coordinator for pre-school
19    and Head Start programs for the  Title  20  program  for  the
20    Department of Human Services in Chicago; and

21        WHEREAS,  She  loved  reading, traveling with her family,
22    cooking New Orleans-style Cajun dishes and  volunteering  for
23    special  programs  at various organizations even when she was
24    not a member of those groups; and

25        WHEREAS, In addition to her employment  at  the  City  of
26    Chicago   Department   of  Human  Services  as  a  curriculum
27    coordinator for the Title 20 program, she also taught in  the
28    pre-school  program  at  the  YMCA  in Chicago; she was later
29    employed by the Chicago Transit Authority and as an assistant
30    general superintendent for  the  Department  of  Streets  and
31    Sanitation for the City of Chicago; and
 
                            -2-                LRB9211243WHdv
 1        WHEREAS,  Community  service  was an integral part of her
 2    life, Patricia Jones served as the school board president  at
 3    Holy  Name  of  Mary  Catholic School in Morgan Park; she was
 4    active in her church, Holy Name of Mary  Catholic  Church  in
 5    Morgan  Park,  where  she  was  a former member of the Ladies
 6    Guild and an active member of the Pastoral Ministers of Care;
 7    and

 8        WHEREAS, She was also a member of the Alpha  Kappa  Alpha
 9    Sorority,  an  organization  devoted to public service, and a
10    board member of the Beverly Arts Center; and

11        WHEREAS, Patricia "Pat" Sterling married Emil Jones, Jr.,
12    on December 14, 1974; and  she  was  very  devoted  to  their
13    children,  John  Sterling,  Emil  III, Renee Jones Rose, Emil
14    Alvarez Jones and Debra Jones,  and  grandchildren,  Jonathan
15    and Alexandria Sterling; and

16        WHEREAS,  She  was  as  much  a  partner in her husband's
17    public life as she was in his private life, so much  in  fact
18    that he often referred to her "as the wind beneath my wings";
19    and

20        WHEREAS,  Pat  shared in her husband's passion for public
21    life, helping him  build  coalitions,  advising  him  on  key
22    decisions,  helping  with  problem solving and traveling with
23    him to many places throughout  the  world,  including  China,
24    Italy,  and the recent trip to South Africa in which they met
25    Nelson Mandela, and  joining  him  in  every  aspect  of  his
26    calling that ultimately became their calling; and

27        WHEREAS,  She  will  be deeply missed by all who knew and
28    loved her, especially her  husband,  Senate  Minority  Leader
29    Emil  Jones,  Jr.;  their  children, John Sterling, Emil III,
30    Renee Jones Rose, Emil Alvarez Jones  and  Debra  Jones;  two
31    grandchildren,   Jonathan   and   Alexandria  Sterling;  four
32    brothers, Leon Sterling, Sr., Charles Sterling, Sr., Michelle
 
                            -3-                LRB9211243WHdv
 1    Sterling and Andre Sterling; and three sisters, Nona  Honore,
 2    Lucille Williams and Maria Stevenson; therefore, be it

 3        RESOLVED,  BY  THE  SENATE  OF  THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL
 4    ASSEMBLY  OF  THE   STATE   OF   ILLINOIS,   THE   HOUSE   OF
 5    REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we  mourn the passing
 6    of  Patricia  A. Jones with her Family and all those who knew
 7    and loved her; and be it further

 8        RESOLVED, That a  suitable  copy  of  this  preamble  and
 9    resolution  be  presented  to the family of Patricia A. Jones
10    with our most heartfelt sympathies.

[ Top ]