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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of Jon Van, who passed away on July 10,
42019 at the age of 75; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Jon Van was born Jon Karl Van Dusseldorp to Karl
6and Charlotte Christianson Van Dusseldorp in Des Moines in
71943; he was their only child; he graduated from North Des
8Moines High School in 1960, where he was a National Merit
9Scholar and played trombone in the marching band; he attended
10the University of Iowa where he earned a bachelor's degree in
111966 and a master's degree in political science in 1968; he was
12a Sigma Chi and a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, the national
13leadership honor society; and
 
14    WHEREAS, During his college years, Jon Van covered student
15unrest at the University of Iowa as a reporter and editor of
16the student run newspaper, the Daily Iowan; he was also a
17freelance reporter for the Des Moines Register, where he
18covered events and city and county governmental news in Iowa
19City; and
 
20    WHEREAS, In 1973, Jon Van began his career at the Chicago
21Tribune as a metro reporter; within a few years, he started
22covering science and would often work alongside veteran

 

 

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1science reporter Ronald Kotulak; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Jon Van had an insatiable curiosity about how
3things work; he was a multi-talented reporter who covered a
4wide range of interests and topics, including Mount Saint
5Helens' eruption, space launches, experiments and discoveries
6at Fermilab, and the big particle accelerator in Switzerland;
7after attending the American Association for Advancement of
8Science annual meeting in 1990, he reported on subjects
9ranging from carcinogens in food to pigeons or pulsars; in
10later years at the Tribune, he covered technology for the
11business section that included subjects such as wireless
12broadband, nanotechnology, and Illinois' biotech community;
13and
 
14    WHEREAS, Jon Van used his talent for writing to help
15readers understand complex concepts with ease; he was
16considered an upbeat subject matter expert and helpful to his
17colleagues; he retired from the Tribune in 2008; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Jon Van was an avid cyclist who was a member of
19the League of American Wheelmen; he commuted from his home in
20Oak Park to the Chicago Tribune Tower for many years; he went
21on cycling trips through the United States and Europe with his
22cycling companions; in 1974, he participated in a 430-mile
23trip across Iowa; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Jon Van was known for his quick wit and keen
2observations; he loved beer and jazz; he left a final legacy in
3his field of interest by donating his body to science; and
 
4    WHEREAS, At the time of his passing, Jon Van was survived
5by his wife, Marsha; his daughters, Kristin Virginia Van and
6Lisa Van Pasquesi (Scott); his grandchildren, Anthony Van
7Pasquesi, Ryan Scott Pasquesi, and Tea Denise Pasquesi; his
8former wife, Denise O'Brien Van; his several cousins; his
9colleagues; and his many friends; therefore, be it
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL
11ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
12Jon Van and extend our sincere condolences to his family,
13friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further
 
14    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
15presented to the family of Jon Van as an expression of our
16deepest sympathy.