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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3 learn of the death of Val Gitlin of Woodstock, who passed away
4 on February 12, 2009; and
 
5     WHEREAS, She was born March 27, 1932, in Garner, Iowa; on
6 April 3, 1954, in Chicago, she married H. Joseph Gitlin; she
7 graduated from Lutheran General Hospital School of Nursing; she
8 was a registered nurse at the United States Army Hospital in
9 Fort Belvoir, Virginia; and she was a supervising nurse at the
10 outpatient clinic of Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago;
11 and
 
12     WHEREAS, She was virtually a full-time volunteer,
13 primarily for the Woodstock Opera House, through the Woodstock
14 Fine Arts Association; her proudest activity was her
15 chairmanship over several decades of the Creative Living Series
16 at the Woodstock Opera House; the series for many years played
17 to a full house; lecturers included Gwendolyn Brooks, Mortimer
18 Adler, Studs Terkel, and Martha Stewart; many of the lecturers
19 stayed at Val and Joe's home the night preceding the lecture;
20 and
 
21     WHEREAS, She was known as an outstanding cook and
22 entertainer; she had her recipes published in Bon Appetit

 

 

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1 magazine and served dinner in her home to the famed gourmet
2 chef Jeff Smith, "The Frugal Gourmet;" she served as president
3 of the board of the Woodstock Fine Arts Association for three
4 terms; she produced the first grand opera at the Woodstock
5 Opera House, "Pagliacci;" she also co-chaired a gala fundraiser
6 for the building of the Opera House Annex (Stage Left Cafe);
7 this event raised $265,000, a record for a single event
8 fundraiser in McHenry County; and
 
9     WHEREAS, She was an elected public official, serving on the
10 McHenry County Regional Board of School Trustees for 28 years,
11 where she served as chairwoman before resigning; she was named
12 Woodstock Woman of the Year by the Woodstock Professional and
13 Business Women in 1990; in 2005 she received the Buschkopf
14 Award, which is given to people who contribute to the quality
15 of life in Woodstock and provide inspiration to people within
16 the community; and
 
17     WHEREAS, She was a most capable interior decorator and
18 landscaper; the Gitlin home was open for house walks to benefit
19 McHenry County Memorial Hospital (now Centegra Hospital in
20 Woodstock) three times, and her garden was open for a garden
21 walk by the Woodstock Professional & Business Women in 2001;
22 pictures of her garden appeared in Chicago Home & Garden, and
23 the garden was photographed by Jessie Mahler for a book on
24 gardens; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, She was an avid reader; she was a member of the
2 McHenry County's oldest book club for almost 45 years; her
3 artistic activities were rug hooking and rosemaling, a
4 Norwegian folk art form of oil painting of rose-inspired forms
5 on wood, very often on chests; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Her daughter, Laura Gitlin-Petlak, preceded her
7 in death; and
 
8     WHEREAS, She is survived by her husband; her son, Gunnar
9 and his wife, Joanne; her son-in-law, Steve Petlak; and her
10 grandchildren, Hannah Gitlin and Alisa Gitlin-Petlak and
11 Miriam Gitlin-Petlak; her sisters, Eunice Zeigler and Norine
12 Chalmers; and numerous nieces and nephews; therefore, be it
 
13     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
14 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
15 her family and friends, the passing of Val Gitlin; and be it
16 further
 
17     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
18 presented to the family of Val Gitlin as a symbol of our
19 sincere sympathy.