SR0320 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0320 LRB102 18581 ECR 26884 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Evelyn Alexander of North Chicago, who passed away on May 14, 2021; and

WHEREAS, Evelyn Alexander was born to Milton P. Harrison and Bessie Mae Harrison in Evanston on November 1, 1936; she was educated in the Evanston public school system; she graduated with honors from Evanston Township High School in 1954; she married Benjamin F. Alexander Jr. in 1956; and

WHEREAS, When Evelyn Alexander's children were young, she accepted a position as a dispatcher with the North Chicago Police Department; she was quickly promoted to Health Commissioner and Emergency Services Disaster Agency Coordinator by the late Mayor Leo F. Kukla; she retired as Chief of Staff to Mayor Bobby E. Thompson in 1997 after 27 years of service; soon after her retirement, she joined the office of her long-time friend, State Senator Terry Link; she served as Senator Link's Legislative Aide for 14 years before retiring again in 2011; at the start of her career, she was employed at what was then known as the Downey Veterans' Administration; and

WHEREAS, Evelyn Alexander volunteered with and held leadership positions in numerous organizations; she was a past president of the North Chicago Rotary Club, past vice president of Partners in Progress, and a founding member of the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County; she also served as Chairman of the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Council; she was the driving force behind the "First Tee" of Lake County program, which brought golf to young people in North Chicago and throughout the county, and was very active with Big Brother/Big Sisters; her longest volunteer service was as a member of the College of Lake County Lakeshore Campus Advisory Board where she served for more than 35 years; she was a member of the North Chicago Housing Authority, which was one of her favorite appointments, and was also very active with Eureka Temple #1172; and

WHEREAS, Evelyn Alexander was a champion for children in North Chicago; while her children were in school, she often volunteered as a chaperone for field trips and sports events; she invested more than 60 years of her time to ensure that children in North Chicago were afforded an opportunity to receive an excellent education; and

WHEREAS, Evelyn Alexander is the only resident to be appointed and/or elected to every school board district in the history of the City of North Chicago; she never lost a school board election while serving on Grade School District 63, Grade School Districts 64, High School District 123, and North Chicago Community Unit District 187; on June 19, 2012, the State Board of Education appointed Evelyn as a member of the Independent Authority for North Chicago Unit School District 187; and

WHEREAS, As a result of Evelyn Alexander's commitment to education and her longevity as a volunteer, North Elementary School was renamed Evelyn Alexander Elementary School in her honor; and

WHEREAS, Evelyn Alexander attended First Corinthian Missionary Baptist church for several years before she officially became a member in 1968; she enjoyed supporting and partaking in church events, especially the grand teas sponsored by the Mission Ministry; one of her proudest moments of service was serving on the Pastor's Search Committee; and

WHEREAS, Evelyn Alexander has received numerous awards and accolades throughout the years; she has been selected as an Outstanding School Board Member, a State of Illinois Outstanding ESDA Director, the First Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church Senior of the Year, and the U of I Mother of the year; she has also received several citations from federal, state, and local entities, including the YWCA Women of Achievement Award for Public Service, the Lake County Forest Preserve "Doing Good in the Hood" award, and the People's Voice Lifetime Achievement Award, and was inducted into the City of North Chicago Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, Evelyn Alexander was preceded in death by her parents; her sisters, Juanita Wimberly, Vera Mae Spears, and Barbara Jean Harrison; and her niece, Evelyn Wimberly; and

WHEREAS, Evelyn Alexander is survived by her four children, Cynthia (Michael) Jackson, Cheryl Alexander, Christina (David) Jones, and Benjamin Alexander III; her eight grandchildren, Brittany Alexander, Benjamin Alexander IV, Sheraton Jones, Avery Jones, Michael (Tristy) Jackson, Jonathan Jackson, Trenisa Jackson, and Nicole Wimberly; her nine great-grandchildren; her brother, Milton Harrison; her sister-in-law, Hellen Russell; her cousins; her host of nieces and nephews; and her friends, including her special friends, Velma Dicker, Judy Keener, and Dora King; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Evelyn Alexander and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Evelyn Alexander as an expression of our deepest sympathy.