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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3 learn of the death of Dr. Gwindelle Wilson Ponder of Chicago,
4 who passed away on January 30, 2008; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Dr. Gwindelle Wilson Ponder proudly celebrated
6 her 80th birthday at the Congregational Church of Park Manor in
7 June 2007 with more than 200 fellow church members, former
8 colleagues, sorors, friends, neighbors, and family; she was the
9 daughter of the late Reverend Dennis N. and Mrs. (Flossie
10 Farmer) Wilson; and
 
11     WHEREAS, She grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, where
12 she graduated from Avery Institute in 1944; she received a B.A.
13 in mathematics from Fisk University in 1948, an M.A. in
14 mathematics from Columbia University in New York in 1951, and a
15 Ph.D. in mathematics/education from Heed University in Broward
16 County, Florida in 1978; and
 
17     WHEREAS, Dr. Ponder taught mathematics in the Chicago
18 Public School system for 16 years, 11 of which were at Wendell
19 Phillips High School; she was subsequently a mathematics
20 professor at Kennedy-King College for 19 years; she achieved
21 the rank of professor in 1985 and had bestowed upon her the
22 Distinguished Professorship Award in 1988-89; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, Some of her noteworthy accomplishments at
2 Kennedy-King include serving on the Faculty Council Committee,
3 Rank Committee, Registration and Recruitment Committee,
4 Faculty Evaluation Committee, Mentor Advisor for Retention
5 Committee, and Convocation Committee; she coordinated the
6 mathematics laboratory, tutored students, and co-chaired the
7 Welch Memorial Mathematics Competition; she frequently
8 arranged for speakers in her classes to share their
9 professional experiences and to supplement the students'
10 intellectual and motivational enrichment; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Dr. Ponder served on the Stewardship Council, the
12 June Circle, and the Music Committee of The Congregational
13 Church of Park Manor, and she was a judge for the Chicago
14 Public Schools Academic Olympics; she chaired the Ninth Annual
15 Tea of the Women's Auxiliary Board of Provident Hospital, and
16 she raised the largest-ever amount of funds for the hospital at
17 a single event; she was the Vice President of the West
18 Chesterfield Garden Club, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha
19 Sorority, Theta Omega Chapter, a member of the Vernon Park
20 Community Council, a member of the Women's Board of DuSable
21 Museum of African-American History, the Vice President of the
22 Chicago Area Fisk University Alumni Association, and a member
23 of the American Rose Art and Charity Club; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, Dr. Ponder served as a community representative
2 for the first Local School Council at Harlan Community Academy;
3 she was an outstanding cook and hostess, an accomplished
4 seamstress, a competitive bridge player, an avid world
5 traveler, an African-American fine art collector, and one of
6 the best dressed-women in Chicago; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Dr. Gwindelle Wilson Ponder is survived by her two
8 sons, Dr. Alvin F. Ponder III and Mr. Darryl D. Ponder; her
9 daughter, Anita J. Ponder, Esq.; her grandson, Mr. Brian
10 Ponder; her three sisters-in-law, Dr. Mildred Ponder Stennis,
11 Ms. Ann Wilson, and Ms. Gladys Wilson; her nieces and nephews,
12 the Honorable Denise Wilson-Taylor, Dr. Dennis Norman Wilson
13 (Marva), Mr. Decatur Ward Wilson II (Cheryl), Mr. Dexter Norman
14 Wilson (Renee), and Dr. Lynette Wilson-Phillips (Jonathan);
15 her grandnieces and grandnephews; her mother's adopted
16 granddaughter, Ms. Jamesetta Boyd Nichols (Raymond); and
17 numerous other relatives and friends; therefore, be it
 
18     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL
19 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
20 her family and friends, the passing of Dr. Gwindelle Wilson
21 Ponder; and be it further
 
22     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
23 presented to the family of Dr. Gwindelle Wilson Ponder as an

 

 

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1 expression of our sincere sympathy.