093_HR0498
LRB093 13234 KEF 18502 r
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives were saddened to learn of the death of Mary
4 Jo Albritton Smith of Joliet on April 10, 2003; and
5 WHEREAS, Mrs. Smith attended St. Patrick's grade school
6 and St. Francis Academy in Joliet; she continued her
7 education at St. Joseph's School of Nursing and became a
8 registered nurse; she received her Bachelor's of Science in
9 Nursing from College of St. Francis while working and raising
10 a family; and
11 WHEREAS, Mrs. Smith worked for the U.S. Army as a nurse
12 in Frankfurt, Germany after graduating nursing school; she
13 then came back to Joliet and worked at St. Joseph's Hospital
14 first as a Medical Surgical nurse; she then spent thirteen
15 years as an emergency room nurse; she became the Head Nurse
16 of the Bethany Unit at St. Joseph's and following this
17 position, she became the Executive Director of the Joliet
18 Area Community Hospice; and
19 WHEREAS, Mrs. Smith held offices with the Illinois State
20 Hospice organization as a Secretary, a member of the Board of
21 Directors, and as Vice President; she was also a board member
22 of the State of Illinois Education Committee on Hospice from
23 1986 to 1991 and chaired that committee from 1987 to 1990;
24 and
25 WHEREAS, While director of the Joliet Area Community
26 Hospice, it became Medicare/Medicaid certified; she secured
27 the donation of the current hospice building and arranged for
28 the donation of most of the material and labor to make the
29 building into the hospice headquarters; she worked to obtain
30 donations to expand the hospice programs, and she initiated
31 partnerships with nursing homes as well as St. Joseph's and
32 Silver Cross hospitals; additionally, she served on both the
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1 State and National Boards of Hospice; she taught and lectured
2 extensively with regards to hospice; and
3 WHEREAS, After seven years as Director, she had to retire
4 due to Multiple Sclerosis; even though her physical abilities
5 became limited, her mind did not; she became co-facilitator
6 of the first local M.S. office in Joliet; she ran a grief
7 support group at her church, St. Jude's, with help from the
8 deacons at the church; she was on the board of directors and
9 past president of the Center for Independent Living; and
10 WHEREAS, In 1997, she received the Mercedes Excellence
11 Award for Volunteering, Chicago Greater Illinois Chapter
12 National M.S. Society, and in 1998, she was awarded the
13 United Way award for volunteering for the Will Grundy Center
14 for Independent Living; Mrs. Smith was named the 2003 Irish
15 Citizen of the Year by the St. Jude Church and School; and
16 WHEREAS, Mrs. Smith was an excellent role model for
17 people who acquire disabilities later in life; her passing
18 has been deeply felt by many, especially her husband, Robert
19 C. Smith, and her sons, Robert C. Smith, II and Michael E.
20 Smith; therefore, be it
21 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
22 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
23 we mourn the passing of Mary Jo Albritton Smith, who was a
24 citizen that truly worked for the good of all; and be it
25 further
26 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
27 presented to the family of Mary Jo Albritton Smith as an
28 expression of our sincerest condolences.