SR0500 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0500 LRB103 34598 LAW 64436 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Jeanne St. Julian of Peoria, who passed away on September 25, 2023; and

WHEREAS, Jeanne St. Julian was born to Rev. Benjamin and Lillian (Graves) Wood in Austin, Texas on May 28, 1934; she was raised in the Church of God in Christ, where her father served as a reverend; as a young woman, she participated in the Texas State Ms. Bronze Pageant, placing third; she received her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics from Huston-Tillotson College in Austin, Texas; while an undergraduate student, she became a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; she earned her Master of Arts in Guidance and Counseling from Bradley University in Peoria; she also completed postgraduate hours at the University of Illinois, Western Illinois University, and Illinois State University; she married Grant St. Julian Jr. in Beaumont, Texas on December 26, 1955; and

WHEREAS, Jeanne St. Julian was an educator who devoted much of her career to the Peoria Public Schools District 150, where she worked as a guidance counselor at Richwoods High School, an elementary teacher at Lincoln, White, and Webster Schools, and a home counselor at Irving and Lincoln Schools; prior to becoming an educator, she worked as a children's librarian at the Peoria Public Library, a service representative at the Illinois Bell Telephone Company, and a counselor for the Neighborhood Youth Corps Summer Programs; after retirement, she worked as a study hall supervisor at Manual and Richwoods High Schools; and

WHEREAS, Jeanne St. Julian served on the Catholic Interracial Council, the Urban League Guild, the Urban League's Tomorrow's Scientists, Technicians and Managers Advisory Committee, the Board of Directors of Women's Strength, and the Board of Directors of George Washington Carver Community Center; she was a life member of the NAACP and a member of the State of Illinois Right-to-Read Program; she served as mistress of ceremonies for Peoria's annual debutante ball for many years; for her extensive community service, she was inducted into the African American Hall of Fame of Downstate Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Jeanne St. Julian's commitment to education and the Peoria community led her, along with her family, to create two local scholarships, the Peoria Tri-County Urban League's TSTM St. Julian Family Scholarship and the Illinois Central College Grant St. Julian Keep Jazz Alive! Scholarship; and

WHEREAS, Jeanne St. Julian was an excellent seamstress, an avid crafter, and a world-class shopper who was known for her creativity, her exquisite sense of style, and her skills in acting and public speaking; and

WHEREAS, Jeanne St. Julian was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; her brother, Benjamin Wood Jr.; and her sisters, Daisy Jackson, Marie Wood, and Jackie Wood; and

WHEREAS, Jeanne St. Julian is survived by her children, Grant St. Julian III, Andrea Renee, and Tanya Suzanne; her daughter-in-law, Judy St. Julian; her son-in-law, Michael Alexander; her grandchildren, Andrew (Paige) St. Julian and Stacie (Peter) Paciorek; five great-grandchildren; and her brothers, James (Hannah) Wood and Michael Wood; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Jeanne St. Julian and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Jeanne St. Julian as an expression of our deepest sympathy.