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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Ann Ford | ||||||
| 4 | of Indianapolis, Indiana, formerly of Springfield, on | ||||||
| 5 | September 23, 2018 at the age of 77; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, Ann Ford was born and raised in Indianapolis; she | ||||||
| 7 | contracted polio at the age of 5, resulting in a permanent | ||||||
| 8 | physical disability; she graduated from Our Lady of Grace | ||||||
| 9 | Academy and then attended Illinois State University; and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, Ann Ford began her career working for the National | ||||||
| 11 | Paraplegia Foundation in Chicago in 1967; she moved to | ||||||
| 12 | Massachusetts in 1978 to serve as the Director of the New | ||||||
| 13 | England Spinal Cord Injury Center; and
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| 14 | WHEREAS, Ann Ford returned to Illinois and founded the | ||||||
| 15 | Center for Independent Living in Peoria in 1985; in 1991, she | ||||||
| 16 | founded the DuPage County Center for Independent Living in Glen | ||||||
| 17 | Ellyn; and | ||||||
| 18 | WHEREAS, In 1999, Ann Ford became the first Executive | ||||||
| 19 | Director of the Illinois Network of Centers for Independent | ||||||
| 20 | Living (INCIL) in Springfield and remained in that position | ||||||
| 21 | until she retired in 2017; and | ||||||
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| 1 | WHEREAS, Ann Ford was the recipient of numerous honors and | ||||||
| 2 | awards for her work on behalf of persons with disabilities, | ||||||
| 3 | including the Justin Dart Distinguished Citizen Award from the | ||||||
| 4 | Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities in Illinois and the | ||||||
| 5 | Marianjoy Rehabilitation Center Courage Award; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, Ann Ford was a brilliant and articulate advocate | ||||||
| 7 | for persons with disabilities and Centers for Independent | ||||||
| 8 | Living; her passion and dedication were evident at the Illinois | ||||||
| 9 | Statehouse for many years; and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, Ann Ford is survived by her daughter, Erin Ford; | ||||||
| 11 | her grandson, Andy (Arianna) Masters; her great-grandson, | ||||||
| 12 | Jack; her sister, Judy (Jim) Lynch; and her sister, Shea Ford; | ||||||
| 13 | therefore, be it
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| 14 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 15 | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
| 16 | mourn the passing of Ann Ford and extend our sincere | ||||||
| 17 | condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved | ||||||
| 18 | her; and be it further
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| 19 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 20 | presented to the family of Ann Ford as an expression of our | ||||||
| 21 | deepest sympathy.
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