Bill Text: IL SR0707 | 2013-2014 | 98th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the death of Deverra Beverly of Chicago.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2013-12-03 - Resolution Adopted [SR0707 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2013-SR0707-Introduced.html
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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | ||||||
3 | learn of the death of Deverra Beverly of Chicago; and
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4 | WHEREAS, Deverra Beverly served the City of Chicago for | ||||||
5 | over 30 years in the Department of Human Services; after | ||||||
6 | retiring in 1997, she was elected to the first of numerous | ||||||
7 | public housing resident leadership positions; she was the | ||||||
8 | President of the Chicago Housing Authority's ABLA Homes Local | ||||||
9 | Advisory Council, Vice-Chairman of the Central Advisory | ||||||
10 | Council (CAC) from 2002 to 2008, interim CAC Chair from 2008 to | ||||||
11 | 2009, and CAC Treasurer in 2009; on July 22, 2009, Mayor | ||||||
12 | Richard M. Daley appointed her as a Commissioner on the Board | ||||||
13 | of Commissioners; and
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14 | WHEREAS, Deverra Beverly emphasized the importance of | ||||||
15 | teamwork, relationship building, and openness; she touched | ||||||
16 | countless lives with the summer youth employment and | ||||||
17 | after-school programs she championed; she lobbied for bringing | ||||||
18 | in new construction jobs, tax assistance for seniors, | ||||||
19 | sustainable "green" initiatives, and "safe passage" routes to | ||||||
20 | combat violence and street gangs; and
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21 | WHEREAS, Deverra Beverly's commitment to the betterment of | ||||||
22 | public housing was based on her having called public housing |
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1 | home her entire life; she and her family moved into the Brooks | ||||||
2 | Homes section of the ABLA housing development in 1943; she made | ||||||
3 | the four housing projects of ABLA - the Jane Addams Homes, the | ||||||
4 | Robert Brooks Homes, Loomis Courts, and the Grace Abbott Homes - | ||||||
5 | known to the world by engaging national philanthropists like | ||||||
6 | Brad Pitt's Make it Right Foundation and attracting the motion | ||||||
7 | picture "Hardball" to film in her community; she joyfully | ||||||
8 | extended hospitality annually for 30 years at the ABLA Day | ||||||
9 | picnics, which brought together the residents of ABLA with | ||||||
10 | Aldermen, the Mayor, police, and other city officials; and
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11 | WHEREAS, As public housing buildings began to be torn down, | ||||||
12 | Deverra Beverly led efforts to protect the last remaining | ||||||
13 | building of the Jane Addams Homes; she envisioned transforming | ||||||
14 | the building into a place to memorialize, teach, and create a | ||||||
15 | new cultural commitment to the future of public housing; over | ||||||
16 | the course of a decade, her efforts let to the creation of the | ||||||
17 | National Public Housing Museum in 2007; and
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18 | WHEREAS, Deverra Beverly was preceded in death by her | ||||||
19 | parents, Clyde Archibald and Priscilla Foster; her husband, | ||||||
20 | William Pickens; her daughter, Christine Beverly; her son, | ||||||
21 | Eugene Beverly; and her grandson, Keith Rawls; and
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22 | WHEREAS, Deverra Beverly is survived by her sons, Kenneth, | ||||||
23 | Levert, Melvin, and William; her sisters, Rosetta and Mary Lou; |
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1 | her 13 grandchildren; and a host of great-grandchildren; | ||||||
2 | therefore, be it
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3 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL | ||||||
4 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
5 | Deverra Beverly, extend our sincere condolences to her family, | ||||||
6 | friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further
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7 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
8 | presented to the family of Deverra Beverly as an expression of | ||||||
9 | our deepest sympathy and in recognition of all she has | ||||||
10 | contributed to the people of the ABLA Homes.
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