|
|
|
|
HR0612 |
|
LRB093 15105 KEF 40697 r |
|
|
| 1 |
| HOUSE RESOLUTION
|
| 2 |
| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of |
| 3 |
| Representatives were saddened to learn of the death of Joel M. |
| 4 |
| Tomas of Palos Hills on December 13, 2003; and
|
| 5 |
| WHEREAS, Mr. Tomas was the longest serving alderman in |
| 6 |
| Palos Hills history; and
|
| 7 |
| WHEREAS, Mr. Tomas was born in Chicago and raised on the |
| 8 |
| South Side; he attended Gage Park High School, Wilson Junior |
| 9 |
| College, and graduated from Roosevelt University with a degree |
| 10 |
| in science; he later returned to Roosevelt to get a master's in |
| 11 |
| guidance counseling; and
|
| 12 |
| WHEREAS, He began his teaching career at Reavis High School |
| 13 |
| in Burbank in 1967; for 32 years he taught human biology and |
| 14 |
| physical science; he created an environmental science course, |
| 15 |
| sponsored the senior class and the science club, started a |
| 16 |
| recycling program, and became a guidance counselor; and
|
| 17 |
| WHEREAS, After Mr. Tomas retired as a teacher, he became a |
| 18 |
| career coordinator at Reavis and developed a program for |
| 19 |
| at-risk students to explore career options; and
|
| 20 |
| WHEREAS, For 12 years, starting in the late 1960s, he also |
| 21 |
| worked as a laboratory technician at St. Elizabeth Hospital on |
| 22 |
| the Northwest Side; he also taught a judo class and was a high |
| 23 |
| school wrestling referee for 14 years; and
|
| 24 |
| WHEREAS, As an alderman, Mr. Tomas represented Palos Hills' |
| 25 |
| 4th Ward and chaired the Public Works Committee, where he |
| 26 |
| helped develop a comprehensive drainage program to solve |
| 27 |
| flooding problems and started a recycling program; he also |
| 28 |
| chaired the Palos Hills Emergency Services Disaster Agency; and
|