SR1222 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1222 LRB102 29193 ECR 41138 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Antje Heberle Kolodziej of Champaign, who passed away on September 25, 2022; and

WHEREAS, Antje Kolodziej was born to Professor Rudolf Heberle and Franziska Toennies Heberle in Kiel, Germany on June 26, 1935; when she was three, she and her family emigrated from Germany to the United States to escape Hitler's Nazi regime; she grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; she graduated from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts in 1957, having spent a year studying abroad year in Germany to complete her degree in Political Science; she married Edward Kolodziej in 1959; and

WHEREAS, Antje Kolodziej moved to Chicago and worked as the associate director of a Ford Foundation adult program, where she promoted political education and discussions of the great books; after moving to Washington, D.C. with her husband, she assumed a post in the Department of Education as the associate director of a program to evaluate the academic credentials of Africans seeking admission to American colleges and universities; and

WHEREAS, Antje Kolodziej focused on her family after moving to Charlottesville, Virginia in 1962, having four sons; they lived there for 11 years, with periodic moves in between due to her husband's career, including a stay in Columbus, Ohio in 1964; they later lived in Paris, France between 1968 and 1978; while there, she was elected to head the parent-teacher association of the French public school two of her sons attended; and

WHEREAS, After her sons were grown, Antje Kolodziej helped administer the Illinois-Austrian student exchange program and worked as a research assistant for Jim Nolan at the Institute of Government; she also skillfully edited and vetted all of her husband's books, multiple professional articles, and book chapters contributed to academic volumes; and

WHEREAS, Antje Kolodziej was actively engaged in public service; she was the campaign manager for Joan Severns' successful election as mayor of Champaign; she was a key member of the parents association that successfully lobbied to save Uni High School from being dismantled by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Department of Education; she was instrumental in the election of a Champaign Council majority that supported the preservation of the art deco lights gracing many Champaign streets; she worked successfully with other community-minded Champaign residents to elect a visionary school board dedicated to saving Central High School and to gain public approval for an unprecedented $183 million school bond issue to bring the physical educational infrastructure of the school system up to date; and

WHEREAS, Antje Kolodziej was honored by the League of Women Voters for 50 years of service, during which she served as secretary periodically; she was also awarded the Loyalty Service Award by Mt. Holyoke College in 2022; and

WHEREAS, Antje Kolodziej loved reading; she was a skilled potter and a regular attending member of her knitting group; along with her husband, she visited most of the countries of Western and Eastern Europe, including celebrating her 50th birthday in Moscow; they also traveled to the Middle East, Central and Latin America, South and East Asia, India, Japan, and China; she was passionate about music; each year, she looked forward to subscribing to the Krannert Center's annual music and drama series and to frequently attending Station Theatre's programs; she also enjoyed keeping a diary and the company of her constant feline companions; and

WHEREAS, Antje Kolodziej will be remembered for her broad smile, infectious laugh, disarming humor, and welcoming disposition; and

WHEREAS, Antje Kolodziej was preceded in death by her son, Peter; her parents; and her brothers, Hinnerk and Jurgen; and

WHEREAS, Antje Kolodziej is survived by her husband of 63 years, Edward; her sons, Andrew (Jeannette), Matthew (Rachel), and Daniel (Shanon); her grandchildren, Zachary, Aiden, Sander, Charlie, Peter, Alexandra, Katarina, Colin, and Quinn; her cousin, Moya; her nieces, Denise, Julie, Renee, and Lauren; and her nieces' children; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Antje Heberle Kolodziej and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

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