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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | ||||||
| 3 | learn of the death of Barry Keefe of Wheaton, who passed away | ||||||
| 4 | on January 3, 2016, at the age of 62; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Barry Keefe was born on Chicago's North Side; he | ||||||
| 6 | grew up in Niles, Michigan, where he began his career as a | ||||||
| 7 | weekend disc jockey at WNIL at 17, while still in high school; | ||||||
| 8 | he earned his bachelor's degree in communications from Grand | ||||||
| 9 | Valley State University at Allendale, Michigan, where he was | ||||||
| 10 | also the news director for the college radio station; he later | ||||||
| 11 | worked for stations in Grand Rapids, Michigan and Cedar Rapids, | ||||||
| 12 | Iowa; and
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| 13 | WHEREAS, Barry Keefe retired in 2008 after 30 years as | ||||||
| 14 | director of news and public affairs at WTMX FM 101.9; he was | ||||||
| 15 | best known for his long run as news anchor on Eric Ferguson and | ||||||
| 16 | Kathy Hart's top-rated morning show, "Eric and Kathy" on The | ||||||
| 17 | Mix; he joined the hot adult-contemporary station in 1978 when | ||||||
| 18 | it was still known as WCLR; he also taught sound engineering at | ||||||
| 19 | the Illinois Institute of Art from 2010 to 2014 and served as | ||||||
| 20 | their Assistant Director of Admissions; and
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| 21 | WHEREAS, During his career, Barry Keefe won or shared more | ||||||
| 22 | than 75 awards for his work; some of his honors included | ||||||
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| 1 | winning The Associated Press' award for Best Enterprise and | ||||||
| 2 | Investigative Reporting in 1982, the AP's awards in 1986 for | ||||||
| 3 | Best Editorial, Best Documentary, and Best Public Service | ||||||
| 4 | Announcement, the United Press International's award for Best | ||||||
| 5 | Newswriter in 1991, and the Illinois Broadcasters | ||||||
| 6 | Association's Silver Dome Award in 2008 for the Best Public | ||||||
| 7 | Affairs Program; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, Barry Keefe was involved in a variety of volunteer | ||||||
| 9 | activities, including working to save the Wheaton Grand Theater | ||||||
| 10 | in Wheaton, forming WTMX's volunteer fair, and offering his | ||||||
| 11 | time to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the DuPage | ||||||
| 12 | County Suburban Emergency Management Project, and the Glen | ||||||
| 13 | Ellyn-based Teen Parent Connection; and
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| 14 | WHEREAS, Barry Keefe is survived by his wife, Kathy, and | ||||||
| 15 | his sons, Alex and Aidan; therefore, be it
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| 16 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL | ||||||
| 17 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
| 18 | Barry Keefe, and extend our sincere condolences to his family, | ||||||
| 19 | friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further
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| 20 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 21 | presented to the family of Barry Keefe as an expression of our | ||||||
| 22 | deepest sympathy.
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