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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3 learn of the death of Edward A. Brennan of Burr Ridge, who
4 passed away December 27, 2007; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Edward Brennan was born January 16, 1934 in
6 Chicago; Mr. Brennan retired from Sears, Roebuck and Company,
7 as chairman and chief executive officer on August 9, 1995,
8 after a 39-year career; he started with Sears after his
9 graduation from Marquette University in 1956, selling men's
10 furnishings in Madison, Wisconsin, and rose through the ranks
11 to become Sears' eleventh chairman; and
 
12     WHEREAS, He was elected chairman and chief executive
13 officer of the company's retail group in 1981; he helped in the
14 acquisition of Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc. and Coldwell Banker
15 and Company; he became the chairman of the board and chief
16 executive officer of the Sears Corporation in 1986, the same
17 year that Sears launched the Discover Card; and
 
18     WHEREAS, He served on the boards of Exelon Corporation and
19 McDonald's Corporation; in previous years, he served on the
20 boards of Allstate, 3M, Morgan Stanley, Dean Foods, and AMR,
21 the parent company of American Airlines, where he served as
22 executive chairman from April 2003 to May 2004; Mr. Brennan

 

 

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1 previously served as chairman of the Board of Trustees at
2 DePaul University and Marquette University, and was president
3 of the United Way of America; and
 
4     WHEREAS, He was the chairman of the Board of Trustees of
5 Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and a member of the
6 United States Naval Academy Foundation Board; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Edward Brennan was recognized for a lifetime of
8 philanthropy and civic leadership and a lifelong commitment to
9 public service and higher education in Chicago, as evidenced by
10 his 20 years of service as a DePaul trustee; he founded the
11 University's Corporate and Foundation Gifts Committee and also
12 helped to arrange numerous gifts to the university, funding
13 both scholarships and facilities; he also found time to serve
14 many other educational, Catholic, and not-for-profit
15 organizations; even in retirement, he still chaired the board
16 at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center; and
 
17     WHEREAS, Edward Brennan is survived by his wife of 52
18 years, Lois L. (nee Lyon); his children, Edward J. (Deborah S.)
19 Brennan, Cindy B. (John) Walls, Sharon B. Lisnow, Donald A.
20 (Kimberly M.) Brennan, John L. (Jean M.) Brennan, and Linda B.
21 (Joel) Thode; his siblings, Bernard (Tammy) Brennan, David
22 (Mary) Brennan, Margaret Bourget, Melissa Brennan, and Joan
23 Ely; and 19 grandchildren; therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL
2 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
3 his family and friends, the passing of Edward A. Brennan; and
4 be it further
 
5     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
6 presented to the family of Edward A. Brennan as a symbol of our
7 sincere sympathy.