Bill Text: IL SR1605 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourns the death of Charles "John" Mahoney.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2018-04-19 - Resolution Adopted [SR1605 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2017-SR1605-Introduced.html

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SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
learn of the death of Charles "John" Mahoney of Oak Park, who
passed away on February 4, 2018; and
WHEREAS, John Mahoney was born in Blackpool, Lancashire,
England to Reginald and Margaret (Watson) Mahoney on June 20,
1940; originally from Manchester, his family was evacuated to
Lancashire during World War II; when he was three months old,
his family returned to Withington and Ardwick Green in
Manchester, and he attended the area schools throughout his
childhood; his love of theater led him to the Stretford
Children's Theatre in Stretford, England, where he played the
role of Polonius in "Hamlet" at the age of 12; and
WHEREAS, In 1951, John Mahoney traveled to Illinois to
visit his sister, Vera Jones, who had married an American
sailor during the war; he was so impressed by his visit to the
United States that he returned eight years later under his
sister's sponsorship; he earned his United States citizenship
in 1959 after serving in the United States Army, an experience
that also inspired him to shed his British accent; after his
military service, he worked his way through college as a
hospital orderly and earned a bachelor's degree from Quincy
College in Illinois (now Quincy University); he then earned a

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Master of Arts in English from Western Illinois University; and
WHEREAS, John Mahoney briefly worked as a teacher and then
editor of a technical publication, the Journal for the Joint
Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals; unfulfilled with
office work, he was prompted to return to his love of theater
and took acting classes at the St. Nicholas Theater in Chicago
with playwright David Mamet; he then appeared in David Mamet's
production of "The Water Engine," alongside John Malkovich,
which put him on the path to becoming a professional actor; and
WHEREAS, In 1979, John Mahoney was invited to join the
Steppenwolf Theatre Company, founded by John Malkovich and Gary
Sinise in Chicago in 1974; he continued to perform there as an
ensemble member for the rest of his life; and
WHEREAS, In 1986, John Mahoney won a Tony Award for his
work in the production of John Guare's "The House of Blue
Leaves"; while he had numerous roles in both film and
television, including in the movie "Moonstruck," his most
memorable role was the that of Marty Crane, father of Frasier
and Niles, on the hit television show "Frasier"; his final
screen appearance was in the British television drama "Foyle's
War" in 2015, where he played an ailing, bed-bound former Texas
oil tycoon; while he was proud of his television and film work,
he was especially proud of his stage performances and called

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the theater his real home; and
WHEREAS, John Mahoney spent as much time as possible in his
adopted hometown of Oak Park, which he praised for its
combination of culture and Midwestern friendliness; he was a
fixture in the Oak Park-Forest Park area for the last three
decades; he enjoyed many restaurants, including Cucina
Paradiso and Marion Street Grill, and he was a loyal customer
at Val's Halla Records; and
WHEREAS, John Mahoney was active in his community and
supported several local causes, including St. Malachy School
and SOS Children's Villages Illinois and headlining the
fundraising event "From Harlem Avenue to Hollywood Boulevard:
An Evening with John Mahoney" for the Historical Society of Oak
Park-River Forest; he will be remembered for his kindness and
generosity; and
WHEREAS, John Mahoney is survived by his sister, Rita
Sullivan and numerous nieces and nephews, both in the United
States and England; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
Charles "John" Mahoney and extend our sincere condolences to
his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it

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further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to the family of John Mahoney as an expression of our
deepest sympathy.