Bill Text: IL SR1457 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourns the death of former Illinois State Representative Thomas B. Berns.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Passed) 2018-03-01 - Resolution Adopted [SR1457 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2017-SR1457-Introduced.html

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SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
learn of the death of former Illinois State Representative
Thomas B. "Tom" Berns, who passed away on February 19, 2018;
and
WHEREAS, Rep. Berns was born to Henry E. and Phyllis R.
(Berglin) Berns on April 8, 1945 and raised in Atlanta and
Plano; he married Jeannie Galvin in Plano on August 28, 1965
and graduated from the University of Illinois in 1968 with a
bachelor's degree in civil and environmental engineering; and
WHEREAS, Rep. Berns began working as an engineer at Danner
and Associates, Inc.; in 1975, he co-founded Berns, Clancy and
Associates; in 1979, the firm moved to its current location in
Urbana and is regarded as one of the premier engineering firms
in East Central Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Rep. Berns taught surveying for the University of
Illinois as an adjunct instructor and around the State for the
Engineering Extension Service; he also taught continuing
education classes for the Illinois Professional Land
Surveyor's Association, where he served as president in 1976;
and

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WHEREAS, In 2000, Rep. Berns was appointed to the Illinois
House of Representatives; he was re-elected and served one full
term; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his career, Rep. Berns received many
awards, including the Young Engineer of the Year award in 1975
from the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers, the
Distinguished Service Award from the Illinois Professional
Land Surveyors Association in 1990, the Chi Epsilon Civil
Engineering Honor Society and Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor
Society Awards from the University of Illinois, the Urbana
Rotary Vocational Achievement Award in 2007, and the
Outstanding Civil Engineer Award from the American Society of
Civil Engineers in 2009; and
WHEREAS, Rep. Berns was a longtime member of the Urbana
Rotary Club and served as the club's president in 1987-1988; he
served as president of the Urbana Country Club and was a team
manager and president of the Prairie Little League for four
years; he served on the boards of the Champaign County Chamber
of Commerce and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce; he was on the
board of the Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation from
2005-2011, a member of the Champaign County Bell Tower
Committee, and served on the boards of the Champaign County
Forest Preserve District Foundation and the Urbana Park
District Foundation; he was a member of the board of trustees

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of the Champaign Urbana Mass Transit district for 11 years and
served as its chairman for one term; he was on the board of
Clark Lindsey Village in Urbana for 38 years, 35 of those years
as chairman; and
WHEREAS, Rep. Berns was a member of St. Patrick's Roman
Catholic Congregation in Urbana for over 50 years; he was an
avid fan of Illini sports fan and enjoyed, golf, tennis, fly
fishing, and spending time with his family; and
WHEREAS, Rep. Berns is survived by his wife of 52 years,
Jeannie; his daughter, Rebecca Berns; his son, Michael (Kelly)
Berns; his grandchildren, Brenna, Braden, Breccan, and Briley;
and his sister, Mary Ellen Smith; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
former Illinois State Representative Thomas B. "Tom" Berns, and
extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all
who knew and loved him; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to the family of Rep. Berns as an expression of our
deepest sympathy.