State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

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92_SR0335

 
                                               LRB9216239BHbh

 1                          SENATE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are  saddened
 3    to  learn  of  the death Margaret Estella Coombs, formerly of
 4    Winfield, who passed away February 2, 2002; and

 5        WHEREAS,  Mrs.  Coombs  was  born  August  28,  1922,  in
 6    Chicago, the daughter of Jacob and Stella Wolter; and

 7        WHEREAS, Mrs. Coombs grew  up  in  Chicago  and  attended
 8    local  schools;  she  was  very  involved  in her parish, St.
 9    Augustine's; and

10        WHEREAS,  Margaret  Coombs  was  widely  known  for   her
11    beautiful  operatic  voice, singing at church, at area events
12    and on the Chicago stage; she declined an  an  invitation  to
13    audition  for  the  New  York  Metropolitan Opera so that she
14    could stay home and raise her family; and

15        WHEREAS, Mrs. Coombs  married  her  husband,  Robert,  on
16    December  26,  1942;  they  lived in Chicago for the birth of
17    their first three children, later moving  to  Batavia,  where
18    two  more  children  followed;  in  1957, the family moved to
19    Winfield, where they lived for 40 years; and

20        WHEREAS,  Mrs. Coombs  was  a  co-founder  of  the  first
21    Winfield  Public  Library  and  was  active  in  St. John the
22    Baptist parish; she served as "First Lady of  Winfield"  when
23    Mr.  Coombs  was elected president of Winfield for two terms,
24    beginning in 1963; they built a summer home in  Wisconsin  in
25    1979  and  moved  there  permanently  in  1994; they recently
26    celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary; and

27        WHEREAS, Mrs. Coombs and her husband were the founders of
28    the first Illinois Chapter of Parents  of  Murdered  Children
29    following  the  murder of their youngest son in 1981; through
30    1986, when they retired as group leaders, they  held  monthly
31    meetings in their home for parents, siblings and other family
 
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 1    members; and

 2        WHEREAS, Margaret Coombs was cherished for her warmth and
 3    tenderness  toward  all  who  crossed  her threshold; she and
 4    Robert were  appointed  by  Illinois  Attorney  General  Neil
 5    Hartigan  to  serve on the state's first victims' rights task
 6    force and were instrumental in the development of  the  first
 7    victims' rights law in Illinois; they were also presented the
 8    Lisa  Hullinger  Award  by  the national office of Parents of
 9    Murdered Children for their service toward  victim  survivors
10    and  also  received a special award from the Mayor of Chicago
11    for their work on behalf of victims; and

12        WHEREAS, Mrs. Coombs's full-time job was making a  loving
13    home  for  her husband and children; she was a wonderful cook
14    and an accomplished seamstress who especially loved to quilt;
15    Margaret Coombs carried her  love  of  music  throughout  her
16    life;  she was an avid reader who taught her children to love
17    books and owned hundreds of volumes; and

18        WHEREAS, Mrs. Coombs had many friends who sought her  out
19    for her wonderful ability to listen, comfort, and offer sound
20    advice;  she  was  quick to laugh and her warm, loving nature
21    was as easy to spot as the twinkle in her eye; and

22        WHEREAS, Margaret Estella Coombs will be deeply missed by
23    all those who knew her  and  loved  her,  especially  by  her
24    husband,  Robert;  her  children,  Carolyn  Wines, Mary-Ellen
25    Coombs, Robert J. Coombs  and  Ralph  (Kathryn)  Coombs;  her
26    grandchildren,   Christine  (Christopher)  Borseau,  Patricia
27    (James)  Bockeloh,  Matthew  (Jennifer)  Wines,   Christopher
28    (Jennifer)  Coombs,  Christy  Coombs,  and  Sarah Coombs; her
29    great-grandchildren, Jason,  Brandon,  Chelsea,  Kolten,  and
30    Brayden; and a family of friends; therefore, be it

31        RESOLVED,  BY  THE  SENATE  OF  THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL
32    ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along  with
 
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 1    her family and friends, the death of Margaret Estella Coombs;
 2    and be it further

 3        RESOLVED,  That  a  suitable  copy  of this resolution be
 4    presented to her husband, Robert Coombs.

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