Bill Text: IL SR1238 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the death of J. Michael "Mike" Zimmers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2022-11-16 - Resolution Adopted [SR1238 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2021-SR1238-Introduced.html
| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
| ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened | ||||||
3 | to learn of the death of J. Michael "Mike" Zimmers, who passed | ||||||
4 | away on October 5, 2022; and
| ||||||
5 | WHEREAS, Mike Zimmers was born in Chicago to William F. | ||||||
6 | and Dorothy L. (Meeks) Zimmers on October 15, 1949; he | ||||||
7 | graduated from Vienna High School in 1967 and earned his | ||||||
8 | bachelor's degree at MacMurray College in 1971, where he was | ||||||
9 | MVP and basketball captain his senior year; he married Nancy | ||||||
10 | Severa at St. Wenceslaus Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on | ||||||
11 | August 3, 1974; he received his master's degree in educational | ||||||
12 | administration from the University of Illinois Springfield in | ||||||
13 | 1991; and
| ||||||
14 | WHEREAS, Mike Zimmers began his teaching career as a | ||||||
15 | behavior disorders middle school teacher in Park Ridge from | ||||||
16 | 1974 to 1977; he moved to Springfield and worked as a behavior | ||||||
17 | disorders middle school teacher for 13 years at | ||||||
18 | Washington/Feitshans and Grant Middle Schools; he also coached | ||||||
19 | girls' and boys' basketball and track; he began his | ||||||
20 | administrative career as an assistant principal and athletic | ||||||
21 | director at Washington and Jefferson Middle Schools for 15 | ||||||
22 | years from 1990 to 2005; and
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | WHEREAS, Mike Zimmers served as principal at Jefferson | ||||||
2 | Middle School from 2005 to 2008, where he started the first | ||||||
3 | gender-based education program in Springfield and introduced | ||||||
4 | the nationally recognized Behavior Intervention Support Team | ||||||
5 | (BIST), a program still used in Springfield schools; in 2009, | ||||||
6 | he was recruited to work as a managing principal for three | ||||||
7 | years; he retired in 2011; and
| ||||||
8 | WHEREAS, Mike Zimmers ran for Springfield School Board | ||||||
9 | #186 in 2013 and served over nine years as a member; he served | ||||||
10 | for three years as board president and for three years as vice | ||||||
11 | president; he was active on the Facilities Planning Committee | ||||||
12 | and the city-wide Keep Kids in School effort every fall, to | ||||||
13 | encourage immunizations; he also served with the One Sangamon | ||||||
14 | Schools group, which organized a countywide school tax | ||||||
15 | referendum that successfully passed a sales tax increase in | ||||||
16 | 2018, benefiting nine county school districts; he was | ||||||
17 | particularly pleased to be concluding his service on the board | ||||||
18 | as the first major renovation projects for Springfield schools | ||||||
19 | from that referendum were being completed this year and so | ||||||
20 | many more were underway; and
| ||||||
21 | WHEREAS, Mike Zimmers' community activities include | ||||||
22 | service as a classroom volunteer at Enos Elementary School, a | ||||||
23 | reader for Real Men Read, and as a long-time member of the | ||||||
24 | Interview Committee for the Physician Pipeline Preparatory |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | Program, a joint program with the SIU School of Medicine; he | ||||||
2 | also volunteered for the United Way Education Vision Team, the | ||||||
3 | Rotary International-Sunrise Chapter (past president), the | ||||||
4 | Cherry Hills Homeowners Association (past president), the | ||||||
5 | MacMurray College Alumni Board (past president), the Race | ||||||
6 | Unity Council, and the Central Illinois Food Bank; and
| ||||||
7 | WHEREAS, Mike Zimmers' professional affiliations include | ||||||
8 | the Council for Exceptional Children, the Springfield | ||||||
9 | Principals Association (past president), the Springfield | ||||||
10 | Education Association, the Illinois Education Association, and | ||||||
11 | the National Education Association; and
| ||||||
12 | WHEREAS, Mike Zimmers was a long-time supporter of the | ||||||
13 | Springfield Public Schools Foundation; he was in the process | ||||||
14 | of establishing a new fund to support local Springfield school | ||||||
15 | teachers, the Mike Zimmers Teacher Professional Development | ||||||
16 | Fund, also known as the Mike Z Teacher Fund; and
| ||||||
17 | WHEREAS, Mike Zimmers was presented with the Bob Goldman | ||||||
18 | Friend of Education award by the Springfield Education | ||||||
19 | Association in April of 2022; he loved visiting schools, | ||||||
20 | listening to administrators, going into classrooms, talking | ||||||
21 | with teachers, interacting with students, helping with parent | ||||||
22 | requests, serving as head timer for track meets, cheering at | ||||||
23 | the City Tournament, and many other activities; and
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | WHEREAS, Mike Zimmers was a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan; he | ||||||
2 | enjoyed games at Wrigley Field and Sloan Park in Mesa, | ||||||
3 | Arizona; he enjoyed working out at and supporting the | ||||||
4 | Springfield Y, gardening and keeping his many bird feeders | ||||||
5 | filled, and walking the family's Westie and his best buddy, | ||||||
6 | Duffy; in 2014, he was named to MacMurray College's Athletic | ||||||
7 | Hall of Fame, where he held the all-time single season rebound | ||||||
8 | record; and
| ||||||
9 | WHEREAS, Mike Zimmers was preceded in death by his parents | ||||||
10 | and his brother, Eric S. Zimmers; and
| ||||||
11 | WHEREAS, Mike Zimmers is survived by his wife, Nancy; his | ||||||
12 | daughter, Layne A. Zimmers (Lori Smith); his cousins, David A. | ||||||
13 | Allbritten, Trina Kozer, Michael Accomondo, and Lisa | ||||||
14 | (Accomondo) Keller; his extended family, including Nancy's | ||||||
15 | sisters and their spouses, Sidney and Larry Lutz, Sara and | ||||||
16 | Duane Tack, and Stacy (the late Dave) Martin; and numerous | ||||||
17 | nieces and nephews and their children; therefore, be it
| ||||||
18 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL | ||||||
19 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
20 | J. Michael "Mike" Zimmers and extend our sincere condolences | ||||||
21 | to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be | ||||||
22 | it further
|
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
2 | presented to the family of Mike Zimmers as an expression of our | ||||||
3 | deepest sympathy.
|