Bill Text: IL SR0202 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Mourns the death of Barbara Ballinger of Oak Park.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-04-20 - Resolution Adopted [SR0202 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-SR0202-Introduced.html


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1
SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of Barbara Ballinger of Oak Park, who
4passed away on November 14, 2022 at the age of 97; and
5 WHEREAS, Barbara Ballinger was born in Miami, Oklahoma in
61925; and
7 WHEREAS, Barbara Ballinger started her library career with
8the Oklahoma City Public Library; and
9 WHEREAS, Barbara Ballinger received a chauffeur's license
10to drive a bookmobile for the Topeka Public Library following
11her graduation from the University of Kansas; and
12 WHEREAS, Barbara Ballinger earned her master's degree in
13library sciences at the University of Illinois and landed a
14job as the assistant director of Oak Park Public Library's
15Maze branch in 1958; and
16 WHEREAS, Barbara Ballinger served as director of Oak
17Park's library system for 32 years before retiring in 1991;
18and
19 WHEREAS, Barbara Ballinger led the Oak Park Public Library

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1during a period of tension and change, guided by the principle
2that public libraries are for all; and
3 WHEREAS, Barbara Ballinger was seen as an outstanding
4public servant who committed herself to literature, education,
5and Oak Park history; and
6 WHEREAS, Barbara Ballinger is credited with spearheading
7the collaboration between west suburban libraries in the 1970s
8and 1980s that would lay the groundwork for the SWAN network
9that exists today, allowing for the seamless distribution of
10materials throughout the suburbs; and
11 WHEREAS, Barbara Ballinger shared a July 21 birthday with
12Oak Park's famous native son, Ernest Hemingway, and was a
13dedicated volunteer with the Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park;
14and
15 WHEREAS, Barbara Ballinger helped create the Ernest
16Hemingway Foundation Archives, now housed at Oak Park's Main
17Library, which includes translations of many of his works as
18well as a check for $100 that Hemingway intended to cover any
19outstanding fines; and
20 WHEREAS, Barbara Ballinger was a voracious reader and
21belonged to several local book clubs over the many decades

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1that she lived in Oak Park; she also talked many of those in
2her book clubs into reading books that they may have never been
3inclined to read normally; and
4 WHEREAS, Barbara Ballinger had a love for poetry,
5particularly by Gerard Manley Hopkins, and would joyfully open
6book club meetings with his poems; and
7 WHEREAS, Barbara Ballinger was also devoted to the Chicago
8Symphony Orchestra, as one of its longest subscribers, the
9Lyric Opera, particularly Wagner's monumental Ring Cycle, and
10the summer Ravinia Festival; and
11 WHEREAS, Barbara Ballinger was a recipient of the Senior
12Citizens' Center of Oak Park-River Forest's 2017 Ulyssean
13Award, which honors seniors committed to lifelong learning and
14who have made significant contributions to the community; and
15 WHEREAS, Barbara Ballinger was a vital fixture in the Oak
16Park community and played a leading role in the library, First
17United Church of Oak Park, the Doris Humphrey Society, and
18several other nonprofit organizations; and
19 WHEREAS, Barbara Ballinger will be missed by her family,
20many friends, and the Oak Park community who continue to
21benefit from the non-profit organizations she helped to

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1thrive; therefore, be it
2 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
3ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
4Barbara Ballinger and extend our sincere condolences to her
5family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it
6further
7 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
8presented to the family of Barbara Ballinger as an expression
9of our deepest sympathy.
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