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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Joan Diane Alsberry; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry was born in Chicago to Irving and
5Amanda Steele on October 7, 1947; she attended Parkman
6Elementary School and was a member of Tabernacle Baptist Church
7in Chicago; she graduated from Jean Baptiste Point DuSable High
8School, where she was a member of the Girls Athletic
9Association and captain of the cheerleader squad; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry attended community college in
11Chicago and graduated from the University of Kansas School of
12Medicine with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy; she
13was a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry began working at Mercy Hospital in
15Chicago as a staff therapist and eventually became the
16assistant director and clinical coordinator for students; she
17also worked at Spaulding School and Tradewinds Rehabilitation
18in Gary, Indiana; she later became the first African American
19Director of Physical Therapy at Americana Healthcare Center in
20Oak Lawn; in 1982, she became the Director of Physical Medicine
21at South Chicago Hospital (Advocate Aurora Trinity); and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry married William Adams; after his
2passing, she married Vernard Alsberry Jr.; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry became a clinical instructor and
4adjunct professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and
5an instructor at the Chicago City Junior College for the
6Physical Therapy Assistance Program; she helped to organize the
7Support Organization for Minority Physical Therapists (SOMPT)
8and was a charter member of the American Academy of Physical
9Therapy (AAPT); and
 
10    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry co-founded a private practice,
11Superior Physical Therapy, eventually becoming the sole
12proprietor; as her business grew, she added other
13rehabilitation services and changed the name to Superior
14Therapeutic Services Inc.; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry became the program director for
16senior services at the Healthcare Consortium of Illinois; she
17then joined her husband and founded Kids Health Club.com, a
18fitness center for youth ages six to 16 years, which they
19operated for eight years; she also briefly worked as a home
20health physical therapist for Advocate South Suburban
21Hospital; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry received numerous honors during

 

 

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1her professional life; in 1997, the Southland Chamber of
2Commerce named her as its Small Business Person of the Year;
3the American Academy of Physical Therapy presented her with the
4Outstanding Leadership Award and the American Physical Therapy
5Association presented her with the Diversity 2000 Award; she
6also was named as a Fellow of the American Academy of Physical
7Therapy; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry was involved with numerous
9organizations, including the Village of Hazel Crest Planning
10and Zoning Commission, the Hazel Crest Senior Citizen
11Commission, the Bremen Township Regular Democratic
12Organization, the Chicago State University Occupational
13Therapy Program, the Illinois Council on Aging, the Illinois
14Interagency Council on Early Intervention, Age Options, the
15Illinois Physical Therapy Association, the American Academy of
16Physical Therapy, the Illinois Council of Case Coordinators
17Units, and the Governors State University Physical Therapy
18Program; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry was a member of Hillcrest Baptist
20Church in Country Club Hills; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry was preceded in death by her first
22husband, William; her parents; her siblings, Ronald and
23Barbara; her stepmother, Ora McClinton; her stepfather,

 

 

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1Rudolph White; and her stepbrother, Lamar; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry is survived by her husband of over
321 years, Village of Hazel Crest Mayor Vernard Alsberry Jr.;
4her sons, Perry Curtis Jr., William Sean Adams, Vernard (Linah)
5Alsberry III, and John Cory Medlock; her daughters, Cindy
6Denise Vinson, Catherine Curtis, Tiffany Diane Curtis, Vernica
7(Tyrone) Alsberry-Griffin, and Moneecia (O'Shane)
8Alsberry-Wilmoth; her brothers, Irving "Willie" (Peaches)
9Steele Jr., Rudolph (Gregory Colombe) White, and Keith
10McClinton; her sisters, Doretta (Jimmy) Smith and Venessa
11(Tommy) Bodey; her nieces, Debra Brown and Metrneaa Gibson; her
12nephews, Anthony and Jonathan Steele; her cousins, Roslyn,
13Rosesharon, and Cleophus (Red) Clarke and Preston (Dojie)
14Barksdale; her brothers-in-law and sisters-in law, Charles
15(Lyndette) Alsberry, Keith (Mary), Kyle (Rosa), Melvin (Sonya)
16Alsberry, and Lorraine McCoy; 15 grandchildren; her A-Team
17family; and a host of extended family, close longtime friends,
18and professional colleagues; therefore, be it
 
19    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
20ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
21Joan Diane Alsberry and extend our sincere condolences to her
22family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it
23further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2presented to the family of Diane Alsberry as an expression of
3our deepest sympathy.