Bill Text: IL SR1577 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the death of Michael Anthony Werckle, M.D.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2018-04-12 - Resolution Adopted [SR1577 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2017-SR1577-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 about the death of Michael Anthony Werckle, M.D. of | ||||||
4 | Rockford, who passed away on March 28, 2018; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Dr. Werckle was born in Peoria to Winton Earl and | ||||||
6 | Florine Yvonne (Carollo) Werckle on August 10, 1939; he | ||||||
7 | graduated from Rockford East High School, with one of the first | ||||||
8 | National Merit Scholarships, in 1957; he worked to pay his way | ||||||
9 | through Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa and graduated | ||||||
10 | with his bachelor of arts degree in 1962; he then graduated | ||||||
11 | from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 1966; he | ||||||
12 | completed his internship and residency through the University | ||||||
13 | of Michigan at Wayne County General Hospital, where he quickly | ||||||
14 | rose to the position of Director of the Outpatient Department | ||||||
15 | and Long Term Care Facility; and
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16 | WHEREAS, In 1973, Dr. Werckle returned to Illinois to serve | ||||||
17 | as Associate Director of the Illinois Department of Public | ||||||
18 | Health in Springfield, where he was instrumental in the effort | ||||||
19 | to vaccinate school children during the outbreak of swine flu | ||||||
20 | in 1976; he moved back to his hometown of Rockford in 1977, | ||||||
21 | where he joined the faculty of the newly-formed University of | ||||||
22 | Illinois College of Medicine as Assistant Clinical Professor of | ||||||
23 | Medicine, a position he held until his passing; he opened North |
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1 | Alpine Medical Clinic, later Rockford Clinic on North Alpine, | ||||||
2 | in an underserved area in 1980; he practiced internal medicine | ||||||
3 | there, specializing in geriatrics, until his retirement in | ||||||
4 | 2006; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Dr. Werckle received many awards and honors during | ||||||
6 | his life, including two Golden Apple Awards, a Faculty | ||||||
7 | Distinguished Service Award, the Arnold Gold Humanism in | ||||||
8 | Medicine Award, and the Endowed Professorship in Biomedical | ||||||
9 | Services in his name, which was made possible by a grant from | ||||||
10 | the Blazer Foundation; on March 28, 2018, he was honored by the | ||||||
11 | University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford at the | ||||||
12 | investiture ceremony for the Michael A. Werckle, M.D. Endowed | ||||||
13 | Professorship in Biomedical Sciences; and
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14 | WHEREAS, Dr. Werckle served on many boards, including | ||||||
15 | Rockford Health System, Lifescape, Wesley Willows, and the | ||||||
16 | Visiting Nurses Association; he served as President of Medical | ||||||
17 | Staff at Rockford Memorial Hospital and was the Medical | ||||||
18 | Director of many organizations, including Rockford Clinic, | ||||||
19 | Fairhaven Christian Home, Willows on Main, Alpine Fireside, and | ||||||
20 | In Home Medical Service; in 2017, he became the majority owner | ||||||
21 | of Hospice Care of America, where he had served as Medical | ||||||
22 | Director since 2006; and
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23 | WHEREAS, Dr. Werckle was a lifelong member of Westminster |
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1 | Presbyterian Church in Rockford, and he remembered carrying | ||||||
2 | bricks as a child for the construction of the church's | ||||||
3 | building; he was an avid fan of antique and vintage cars and | ||||||
4 | was active in many car clubs, including the Vintage Motor Car | ||||||
5 | Club of America and the Rock-Ford A's, serving as President of | ||||||
6 | both organizations; he enjoyed driving in classic car tours and | ||||||
7 | was known to make house calls to elderly patients in an antique | ||||||
8 | car of their choice; he will be remembered as a compassionate | ||||||
9 | physician, respected educator, and dedicated public servant, | ||||||
10 | who believed in the healing power of listening compassionately; | ||||||
11 | recalling his working class roots, he provided care to | ||||||
12 | everyone, regardless of their ability to pay; and
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13 | WHEREAS, Dr. Werckle was preceded in death by his parents; | ||||||
14 | his sister, Patricia Werckle Zeller; his stepparents, Ralph | ||||||
15 | Steele and Winifred Werckle; his grandparents; his aunts and | ||||||
16 | uncles; his cousin; his special friend, Cedric W. Blazer; and | ||||||
17 | his beloved Rottweilers, Lovie and Millie; and
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18 | WHEREAS, Dr. Werckle is survived by his wife, Patricia; his | ||||||
19 | children, Michael David Werckle, Elizabeth Ann Werckle, and | ||||||
20 | Sarah Kathryn (Matthew) Rip; his grandchildren, Anne Lee | ||||||
21 | Harris, Dashiell Michael Rip, and Lincoln Russell Rip; his | ||||||
22 | sister, Jacqueline (Werckle) White; his brothers, W. David | ||||||
23 | (Sara) Werckle and Richard L. (Linda) Werckle; his special | ||||||
24 | cousin, Joseph Broz; his special friend, Mark R. Blazer; his 18 |
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1 | nieces and nephews; his four cousins; and his grand-dog, | ||||||
2 | "Dad."; therefore, be it
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3 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL | ||||||
4 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
5 | Michael Anthony Werckle, M.D. and extend our sincere | ||||||
6 | condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved | ||||||
7 | him; and be it further
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8 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
9 | presented to the family of Dr. Werckle as an expression of our | ||||||
10 | deepest sympathy.
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