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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of Carolyn Bartholf Oxtoby of
4Springfield, who passed away on January 12, 2024; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Carolyn Oxtoby was born to Herbert and Susan
6Pasfield Bartholf in Springfield on June 1, 1931; she attended
7Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts; she married Robert
8Boynton Oxtoby in 1956; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Carolyn Oxtoby became a real estate developer and
10historic preservationist; she is credited with starting
11Springfield's downtown revitalization in the mid-1970s; she
12worked on the preservation of the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices,
13the Fisher-Latham building in the 100 block of North Sixth
14Street, and the 17-unit Sears Apartment Building in the 400
15block of South Seventh Street; she donated $350,000 for the
16purchase of the former Masonic Temple that was converted into
17the Hoogland Center for the Arts in 2001; she, and businesses
18along Sixth Street between Monroe and Adams, commissioned the
19design and paid for the construction of new sidewalks with the
20concrete paver amenity strips and historic reproduction street
21lighting; at one point, she managed approximately 30
22apartments downtown and was known as a good and responsive
23landlord; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Carolyn Oxtoby, along with Dick Morse and Dick
2Hart, was a founding member of the Heritage Foundation, a
3not-for-profit arm of Downtown Springfield, Inc. formed to
4encourage donations of neglected historic structures that
5might otherwise be demolished; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Carolyn Oxtoby was named the State Journal
7Register First Citizen in 1998 and received a lifetime
8achievement award from Landmarks Illinois in 2010; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Carolyn Oxtoby was passionate about the
10preservation of downtown Springfield and became known as "the
11patron saint of Sixth Street"; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Carolyn Oxtoby was preceded in death by her
13husband; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Carolyn Oxtoby is survived by her brother,
15Stephen (Carol) Bartholf; her children, Thomas (Judy) Oxtoby,
16Michael Oxtoby, and Susan Folkens; her granddaughters,
17Ashleigh (Cosimo) Picci and Kristen Oxtoby; two
18great-grandchildren; her niece; and two nephews; therefore, be
19it
 
20    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL

 

 

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1ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
2Carolyn Bartholf Oxtoby and extend our sincere condolences to
3her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it
4further
 
5    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
6presented to the family of Carolyn Oxtoby as an expression of
7our deepest sympathy.