SR0054 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0054 LRB103 29649 ECR 56048 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Michael "Mike" Sutfin of Ottawa, who passed away on January 25, 2023; and

WHEREAS, Mike Sutfin was born to William and Vera (McNulty) Sutfin in Chicago on January 24, 1949; he served in the U.S. Marine Corps in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969; he married Suzanne (Nixon) Brue in Ottawa on December 31, 1998; and

WHEREAS, Mike Sutfin served as the building official and floodplain manager of Ottawa from 2007 until his retirement in 2019; he was passionate about floodplain management and protecting people and property from damage due to flooding; his efforts helped Ottawa obtain flood buyout grants for many houses and the former Ottawa Central School; he raised Ottawa to a CRS 2 Rating, thereby placing it among the top 10 flood-prepared cities in the U.S.; he helped create the Senator Rezin Floodplain Coalition and served on the Homeland Security FEMA CRS Task Force, where he helped set national policy; he also retired as a lieutenant from the Schaumburg Fire Department; and

WHEREAS, Mike Sutfin was the recipient of several accolades for his work, including being named the 2009 Illinois Floodplain Manager of the Year, receiving the National Weather Service's National Solution Search Award for pioneering the Rapid Assistance Flood Team (RAFT) organization, and receiving the 2019 Illinois Association for Floodplain and Stormwater Management (IAFSM) Award for Outstanding Service; and

WHEREAS, As a craftsman and an artist, Mike Sutfin was responsible for the restoration and establishment of many memorials and historic sites; and

WHEREAS, Mike Sutfin was preceded in death by his grandmother and his parents; and

WHEREAS, Mike Sutfin is survived by his wife, Suzanne; Suzanne's sons, Jeff and Luke; his children and their significant others, Michael, Kimberly, Robert, and Annette; his siblings, William, Jude, John, MaryAnne, Eugene, and Tom; his 11 granddaughters; his great-grandson; his nieces and nephews; and his cousins; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Michael "Mike" Sutfin and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

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