093_SR0272
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1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of
3 Illinois learned with regret of the passing of Kathryn "Kay"
4 Katz of Wilmette on July 28, 2003; and
5 WHEREAS, Kathryn Katz was born in 1941 in Milwaukee,
6 Wisconsin; and
7 WHEREAS, Mrs. Katz was an elementary school teacher for
8 more than 31 years, and she always required more of her
9 students than they themselves knew they could produce; much
10 of her career was spent at Harper School in Wilmette; she
11 originally taught in Chicago and Morton Grove; during her
12 early years in Wilmette, she taught gifted programs and
13 special education; while her own children were young, she was
14 the homebound tutor for students who could not physically
15 attend school due to accidents, illnesses, or disabilities;
16 and
17 WHEREAS, Mrs. Katz frequently changed grade levels to
18 avoid repetition and to retain a fresh perspective; she
19 established, developed, and grew major class room events; a
20 favorite was the "Oregon Trail" where the children dressed in
21 period garb of historical people; "Lewis and Clark" marched
22 alongside horse-drawn covered wagons from Harper School to
23 the Pacific Shore (Lake Michigan in Wilmette); traversing the
24 wilderness, students were attacked by buffalo, other wild
25 animals, and Native Americans; they also passed many
26 neighborhood homes under the guise of forts and outposts; and
27 WHEREAS, Other projects recreated the Colombian
28 Exposition, which included handmade models and drawings of
29 the South Side event; students dressed up as the prominent
30 historical figures associated with the event, such as Daniel
31 Burnham and Sally Rand, while others were given artistic
32 license and impersonated other famous Chicagoans who may not
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1 have been specifically associated with the world's fair, such
2 as Charles A. Comiskey or Richard Sears; in studying
3 dinosaurs, Mrs. Katz acquired whole chickens for each
4 student; they boiled the chickens and from the carcasses
5 reassembled the entire skeletons on poster board to consider
6 the concept that birds come from dinosaurs; teaching local
7 history took the form of a stage play one year and a puppet
8 show another; and
9 WHEREAS, Mrs. Katz also held fundraisers and had her
10 students assist Wilmette residents to establish the Village
11 of Wilmette Prairie Preserve at the edge of Thornwood Park
12 near Harper school; and
13 WHEREAS, Mrs. Katz's other passion was helping establish
14 group homes for mentally ill adults in Chicago's North Shore;
15 approximately 15 years ago she was one of the founding
16 members of WilPower; she was the primary mentor of the first
17 presidents of WilPower and was elected president herself
18 about 4 years ago; and
19 WHEREAS, Mrs. Katz met with many village presidents,
20 overcoming the major obstacles that were so prevalent in the
21 early years of WilPower; Mrs. Katz worked to show WilPower's
22 success with 5 group homes and that group homes can actually
23 be the least problematic neighbors and do nothing to lower
24 property values; and
25 WHEREAS, Mrs. Katz was on the social action committee at
26 the Beth Hillel Synagogue in Wilmette and participated in
27 cooking and serving at soup kitchens in Chicago; and
28 WHEREAS, Mrs. Katz and her husband enjoyed traveling,
29 visiting the Orient, Europe, and North America; the Katz's
30 house and yard were always full of fresh flowers and plants,
31 and Mrs. Katz partook in elaborate cooking and home
32 improvement; she and her husband personally renovated their 5
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1 homes in the Wilmette area; and
2 WHEREAS, The passing of Kathryn Katz has been deeply felt
3 by all who knew and loved her, especially her husband,
4 Michael Katz; her daughter, Carrie Katz; her son, Craig
5 (Pamela) Katz; her granddaughter, Gabrielle "Brie" Katz; and
6 her brothers, Howard Kane and Neal (Lyn) Kane; therefore, be
7 it
8 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL
9 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
10 all who knew her, the death of Kathryn Katz of Wilmette; and
11 be it further
12 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
13 presented to the family of Kathryn Katz with our sincerest
14 condolences.