Bill Text: IL SR0320 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourns the death of Evelyn Alexander.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Passed) 2021-06-01 - Resolution Adopted [SR0320 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2021-SR0320-Introduced.html

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SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
to learn of the death of Evelyn Alexander of North Chicago, who
passed away on May 14, 2021; and
WHEREAS, Evelyn Alexander was born to Milton P. Harrison
and Bessie Mae Harrison in Evanston on November 1, 1936; she
was educated in the Evanston public school system; she
graduated with honors from Evanston Township High School in
1954; she married Benjamin F. Alexander Jr. in 1956; and
WHEREAS, When Evelyn Alexander's children were young, she
accepted a position as a dispatcher with the North Chicago
Police Department; she was quickly promoted to Health
Commissioner and Emergency Services Disaster Agency
Coordinator by the late Mayor Leo F. Kukla; she retired as
Chief of Staff to Mayor Bobby E. Thompson in 1997 after 27
years of service; soon after her retirement, she joined the
office of her long-time friend, State Senator Terry Link; she
served as Senator Link's Legislative Aide for 14 years before
retiring again in 2011; at the start of her career, she was
employed at what was then known as the Downey Veterans'
Administration; and
WHEREAS, Evelyn Alexander volunteered with and held

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leadership positions in numerous organizations; she was a past
president of the North Chicago Rotary Club, past vice
president of Partners in Progress, and a founding member of
the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County; she also served as
Chairman of the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension
Council; she was the driving force behind the "First Tee" of
Lake County program, which brought golf to young people in
North Chicago and throughout the county, and was very active
with Big Brother/Big Sisters; her longest volunteer service
was as a member of the College of Lake County Lakeshore Campus
Advisory Board where she served for more than 35 years; she was
a member of the North Chicago Housing Authority, which was one
of her favorite appointments, and was also very active with
Eureka Temple #1172; and
WHEREAS, Evelyn Alexander was a champion for children in
North Chicago; while her children were in school, she often
volunteered as a chaperone for field trips and sports events;
she invested more than 60 years of her time to ensure that
children in North Chicago were afforded an opportunity to
receive an excellent education; and
WHEREAS, Evelyn Alexander is the only resident to be
appointed and/or elected to every school board district in the
history of the City of North Chicago; she never lost a school
board election while serving on Grade School District 63,

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Grade School Districts 64, High School District 123, and North
Chicago Community Unit District 187; on June 19, 2012, the
State Board of Education appointed Evelyn as a member of the
Independent Authority for North Chicago Unit School District
187; and
WHEREAS, As a result of Evelyn Alexander's commitment to
education and her longevity as a volunteer, North Elementary
School was renamed Evelyn Alexander Elementary School in her
honor; and
WHEREAS, Evelyn Alexander attended First Corinthian
Missionary Baptist church for several years before she
officially became a member in 1968; she enjoyed supporting and
partaking in church events, especially the grand teas
sponsored by the Mission Ministry; one of her proudest moments
of service was serving on the Pastor's Search Committee; and
WHEREAS, Evelyn Alexander has received numerous awards and
accolades throughout the years; she has been selected as an
Outstanding School Board Member, a State of Illinois
Outstanding ESDA Director, the First Corinthian Missionary
Baptist Church Senior of the Year, and the U of I Mother of the
year; she has also received several citations from federal,
state, and local entities, including the YWCA Women of
Achievement Award for Public Service, the Lake County Forest

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Preserve "Doing Good in the Hood" award, and the People's
Voice Lifetime Achievement Award, and was inducted into the
City of North Chicago Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Evelyn Alexander was preceded in death by her
parents; her sisters, Juanita Wimberly, Vera Mae Spears, and
Barbara Jean Harrison; and her niece, Evelyn Wimberly; and
WHEREAS, Evelyn Alexander is survived by her four
children, Cynthia (Michael) Jackson, Cheryl Alexander,
Christina (David) Jones, and Benjamin Alexander III; her eight
grandchildren, Brittany Alexander, Benjamin Alexander IV,
Sheraton Jones, Avery Jones, Michael (Tristy) Jackson,
Jonathan Jackson, Trenisa Jackson, and Nicole Wimberly; her
nine great-grandchildren; her brother, Milton Harrison; her
sister-in-law, Hellen Russell; her cousins; her host of nieces
and nephews; and her friends, including her special friends,
Velma Dicker, Judy Keener, and Dora King; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
Evelyn Alexander and extend our sincere condolences to her
family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be

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presented to the family of Evelyn Alexander as an expression
of our deepest sympathy.