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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Betty Van Wyk of Oak Park, who passed
4away on November 14, 2010; and
 
5    WHEREAS, She was a journalism graduate of Hope College; she
6taught high school in Normal before returning to Chicago, where
7she was born in 1939; moving to Oak Park, she became a reporter
8for Pioneer Press, handling the education beat for the Oak
9Leaves; and
 
10    WHEREAS Running as an independent, she was elected to serve
11on the Oak Park Township board as a trustee, 1981 to 1985, and
12as township clerk, 1985 to 1997; her knowledge of the community
13and public relations skills led to her appointment as
14communications director for Oak Park and River Forest High
15School, where she also became advisor to Tau Gamma, a girls'
16service organization; in this role, she assisted many young
17women in giving back to the community; and
 
18    WHEREAS, In 1999, she began a career as a certified
19financial planner until her retirement in 2005; in retirement,
20she volunteered to give financial advice to residents through
21Township Senior Services; her legendary baklava, learned from a
22Greek chef on her first trip abroad in the 1950s, was a

 

 

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1hallmark of many gatherings in the village; she annually
2participated in providing and delivering gift baskets and
3dinners through the Food Pantry for the holidays; and
 
4    WHEREAS, She worked tirelessly for the Oak Park chapter of
5Zonta International and offered financial planning insights to
6the organization through service on its local and national
7boards; she participated in choosing the most promising young
8woman to receive a scholarship in the chapter's annual Young
9Woman in Public Affairs program; she was a frequent and
10gracious hostess for Zonta gatherings at her home in the
11summers, and hosted a chapter-sponsored student from Estonia,
12who lived with her the entire year she studied at Dominican
13University; and
 
14    WHEREAS, She was a valued supporter of the Oak Park
15Conservatory and helped with fundraisers; as an apartment
16building owner, she supported the Oak Park Housing Center; she
17was a member of Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist
18Congregation; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Betty Van Wyk was preceded in death by her
20parents, Lou and Val Vicha; and her niece, Kathi Ogle; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Betty Van Wyk is survived by her son, Mark (Linda
22and granddaughter Lily Lin) and her daughter, Laura (Bob); her

 

 

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1sister and traveling companion, Diane Ogle; her nephews, Kevin
2(Lori) and Rob Ogle; her Aunt Grace Vicha; her cousins, Eric
3and Jean Topinka, Vicki Erickson (Tony), Don (Jesse) Vicha,
4Roger, and Wayne Vicha; and neighbors and friends in every
5corner of the world; therefore, be it
 
6    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
7ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
8her family and friends, the passing of Betty Van Wyk; and be it
9further
 
10    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
11presented to the family of Betty Van Wyk as a symbol of our
12sincere sympathy.