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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3 learn of the death of Reverend Dr. Thomas E. Barth of Waukegan,
4 who passed away on March 22, 2007; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Thomas E. Barth was born on October
6 28, 1944 in Pekin; his parents were Eli and Emma Barth; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Thomas E. Barth graduated from Morton
8 Township High School in 1962, the North Dakota School of
9 Forestry in Bottineau, North Dakota in 1964, and the DuPage
10 Horticultural School in West Chicago in 1965; he graduated from
11 Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington in 1967; he
12 received his Masters of Divinity from Chicago Theological
13 Seminary in Lombard in 1993 and his Doctor of Ministry from
14 Chicago Theological Seminary in Lombard in 1996; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Thomas E. Barth worked in the family
16 floral business in Morton and owned and operated his own flower
17 shops in Hammond, Highland, and Dyer, Indiana in the 1970s; in
18 1976 he was named Top Floral Artist by the American Institute
19 of Florists and has a book written about his cutting edge
20 floral designs; he also served on the Illinois/Indiana Florist
21 Allied Association; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, In 1979, Reverend Dr. Thomas E. Barth changed
2 careers and joined Industrial and Science Conference
3 Management Inc., where he organized conferences throughout the
4 world; he received numerous awards from the China External
5 Trade Development Council in Taipei, Taiwan, the World
6 Federation of Sporting Goods in Zurich, Switzerland, and
7 Thailand Sportswear and Garment Manufacturers in Bangkok,
8 Thailand; in 1981, he joined the National Sporting Goods
9 Association, where he served as the national and international
10 public relations sales manager; in this capacity he traveled
11 the world and acquired numerous friendships both stateside and
12 abroad; and
 
13     WHEREAS, In 1989 Reverend Dr. Thomas E. Barth was called to
14 ministry when he left the corporate structure and began his
15 theological studies at the Chicago Theological Seminary in
16 Lombard; his ministry began by serving at Ingleside Methodist
17 Church, which was followed by a journey to Subiaco Abbey in
18 Subiaco, Alaska, where he was Director of Public Relations; he
19 followed his time in Subiaco with a call to ministry with the
20 United Church of Christ, where he was pastor in German Town
21 Hills, and most recently as pastor of the First Congregational
22 United Church of Christ in Waukegan; he had been a pastor with
23 the United Church of Christ for 19 years; and
 
24     WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Thomas E. Barth wrote and published

 

 

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1 two books; "Casting Stones, Prostitution in Asia and the United
2 States" (Brook, 1996) and "Exhibiting for Dollars, A How to
3 Guide to Trade Shows" (NSGA, 1983); and
 
4     WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Thomas E. Barth worked closely with
5 victims of domestic abuse; he had professional memberships and
6 alliances with The National Organization on Male Sexual
7 Victimization, the Family Violence Intervention Project of
8 Illinois, 10th Judicial Circuit, the Central Illinois Friends
9 of PWA, the Heart of Illinois Clergy Cluster, the National
10 Alliance for Self Help, Friends of Persons with AIDS, National
11 Organization on Male Sexual Victimization, Central Illinois
12 Native American Urban Center, and Mayor Daley's Conference on
13 Domestic Violence; he was recently involved with Alexian
14 Brothels Bonaventure House at The Harbor, a transitional
15 housing facility; and
 
16     WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Thomas E. Barth was preceded in death
17 by his parents; and his sister, Sally Swearingen; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Reverend Dr. Thomas E. Barth is survived by his
19 life partner, William M. Tortat Sr.; their six children, Todd
20 (Amy) Barth, Carrie (Chris) Rhoads, William (Liz) Tortat Jr.,
21 Robert (Kris) Tortat, Jennifer Swearingen, and Jessi (David)
22 Weiner; nine wonderful grandchildren, Paige, Sadie, Jackson,
23 Lucas, Alexis, Leo, Gabrielle, Miranda, and Morgan; his

 

 

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1 siblings, John (Robin) Barth, Doede Barth, and Christy (Steve)
2 Boswell; and numerous nieces and nephews; therefore, be it
 
3     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL
4 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
5 his family and friends, the passing of Reverend Dr. Thomas E.
6 Barth; and be it further
 
7     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
8 presented to the family of Reverend Dr. Thomas E. Barth as an
9 expression of our sympathy.