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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Sara
4Spurlark of Chicago, who passed away on February 12, 2012; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Sara Spurlark grew up in Winston-Salem, North
6Carolina, and Knoxville, Tennessee; after attending Knoxville
7College in Tennessee for 2 years, she transferred to Hampton
8University in Virginia, where she graduated in 1944; she
9subsequently earned her master's degree from the University of
10Connecticut at Storrs in 1947 and attended the University of
11Chicago to pursue a doctoral degree in biochemistry; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Sara Spurlark married her loving husband, Royal E.
13Spurlark Jr., in 1949; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Sara Spurlark had a long and distinguished career
15as an educator; she began her career as a chemistry teacher
16with CPS in 1955; she later served as the head of Kelly High
17School's science department; around 1966, she relocated to the
18new Kenwood High School (now Kenwood Academy), where she served
19as a biology teacher before becoming assistant principal a few
20years later; In the late 1970s, she became the principal of Ray
21Elementary School, where she served until her retirement from
22CPS in 1990; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Following her retirement from CPS, Sara Spurlark
2became a founding member and associate director of the
3University of Chicago's Center for Urban School Improvement;
4she continued in this capacity until her retirement in 2005;
5during her tenure at the Center, she played a key role in the
6university's charter school program; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Sara Spurlark was involved with numerous civic and
8religious organizations, including the McCormick Theological
9Seminary, the South East Chicago Commission, and the Chicago
10School Finance Authority; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Sara Spurlark was preceded in death by her
12husband, Royal E. Spurlark, Jr.; her son, Royal E. Spurlark,
13III; her parents, Hardy and Estelle Liston; and her 3 sisters
14and 2 brothers; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Sara Spurlark is survived by her daughters, Susan
16and Aurelia; her daughter-in-law, Miriam Hernandez-Spurlark;
17her brothers, Hardy Liston Jr. and David Liston; and her
18grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Maxwell L. Kennedy,
19Royal E. Spurlark, IV, John E. Kennedy, Alicia E. Spurlark,
20Makayla L. Kennedy, and Royal E. Spurlark, V; therefore, be it
 
21    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE

 

 

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1NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
2we mourn, along with her family and friends, the passing of
3Sara Spurlark; and be it further
 
4    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
5presented to the family of Sara Spurlark as an expression of
6our sympathy.