SR1326LRB102 27158 LAW 38667 r


  
1
SENATE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened 
3to learn of the death of Mary Therese "Tesse" Donnelly, who 
4passed away on January 4, 2022 at the age of 91; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, Tesse Donnelly was born on October 20, 1930 to 
6Vincent and Theresa McNulty Hartigan and lived in St. Louis 
7with her younger siblings Vincent Emmet and Helen Patrice 
8Hartigan; and
  
 
9    WHEREAS, Tesse Donnelly attended Fontbonne College until 
10she transferred to the College of New Rochelle in New York; and
  
 
11    WHEREAS, Tesse Donnelly was an active member of the Young 
12Christian Students and the National Students Association, 
13serving as Chair of the latter's Missouri-Kansas region in 
141949; and
  
 
15    WHEREAS, Tesse Donnelly continued her education at the 
16University of Chicago, studying under Yves Simon and earning 
17her master's degree in history; and
  
 
18    WHEREAS, Tesse Donnelly was the only woman enrolled in the 
19University of Chicago's graduate history program at the time; 
20and
  
 
 
 
SR1326- 2 -LRB102 27158 LAW 38667 r

1    WHEREAS, Tesse Donnelly and her future husband, William J. 
2Donnelly, met during her time at the University of Chicago 
3and, at the time of his death in 2016, they had been married 
4nearly 60 years; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, Tesse Donnelly and her husband led a household of 
6five children in Oak Park; and
  
 
7    WHEREAS, Tesse Donnelly worked vigorously for racial 
8integration, open housing, and the Fair Housing Ordinance, 
9which, in May 1968, culminated in its passage in Oak Park; and
  
 
10    WHEREAS, Tesse Donnelly worked with women to foster their 
11mutual flourishing in groups and organizations, including the 
12La Leche League,   the Lauds Prayer Group, and Limina, a women's 
13spirituality organization; and
  
 
14    WHEREAS, Tesse Donnelly served as president on the board 
15of the C.G. Jung Institute in Evanston; and
  
 
16    WHEREAS, Tesse Donnelly helped to found the Experimental 
17Program at Oak Park River Forest High School and Arbor West 
18Neighbors; and
  
 
19    WHEREAS, Tesse Donnelly made sure that as often as her 
 
 
SR1326- 3 -LRB102 27158 LAW 38667 r

1activism drew her from the home into the world that she would 
2also bring the world into her home; and
  
 
3    WHEREAS, Tesse Donnelly and her husband Bill would invite 
4guests to join them for gatherings characterized by ritual and 
5song; and
  
 
6    WHEREAS, Tesse Donnelly, a founding member of the St. 
7Giles Family Mass Community in 1971, hosted numerous meetings 
8and, on occasion, mass in her home; and
  
 
9    WHEREAS, Tesse Donnelly was an avid organic gardener and 
10delighted in visits from all manner of birds to her 
11always-full birdfeeder; and
  
 
12    WHEREAS, Tesse Donnelly treasured her neighbors on Forest 
13Avenue and was involved in planning annual block parties, 
14attending her last one in the fall of 2021; and
  
 
15    WHEREAS, Tesse Donnelly, when asked how she would like to 
16be remembered, replied "As someone who cared"; and
  
 
17    WHEREAS, Tesse Donnelly is survived by her children, 
18Thomas (Anne Wicker), John, Theresa (John Irwin), Patrick 
19(Jessica Daniels), and Maura (Matthew O'Halloran); and her 
20grandchildren, Claude, Ambrose, Liam, Gabriel, Lucy, Beatrice, 
 
 
SR1326- 4 -LRB102 27158 LAW 38667 r

1Fiona, Finnbar, Ronan, and Emmett; therefore, be it
  
 
2    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL 
3ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of 
4Mary Therese "Tesse" Donnelly and extend our sincere 
5condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved 
6her; and be it further
  
 
7    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
8presented to the family of Tesse Donnelly as an expression of 
9our deepest sympathy.