Full Text of SR0557 93rd General Assembly
SR0557 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
|
|
|
SR0557 |
|
LRB093 22225 HSS 51476 r |
|
| 1 |
| SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 |
| WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois | 3 |
| were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Judge Thomas R. | 4 |
| Smoker of Lake Forest on May 10, 2004; and
| 5 |
| WHEREAS, Thomas R. Smoker was born September 29, 1949 in | 6 |
| Indianapolis, Indiana and grew up in Park Ridge, where he | 7 |
| attended Maine South High School; he received his undergraduate | 8 |
| degree at Valparaiso University; he then attended John Marshall | 9 |
| Law School where he earned his Juris Doctorate; and | 10 |
| WHEREAS, Upon admission to the Illinois State Bar, he began | 11 |
| his legal career as an Assistant Public Defender in Lake County | 12 |
| where he represented poor and indigent clients; he then began | 13 |
| his practice in the private sector, opening the law firm of | 14 |
| Walter and Smoker where he was a trial attorney specializing in | 15 |
| criminal defense litigation and matrimonial cases, he was known | 16 |
| for his integrity, sense of fairness and unmatched legal | 17 |
| abilities; and | 18 |
| WHEREAS, In 1997, he was appointed to the position of | 19 |
| Associate Judge of the 19th Judicial Circuit after being rated | 20 |
| as highly qualified by the Lake County Bar Association; Judge | 21 |
| Smoker served in some of the most difficult and high volume | 22 |
| court rooms in Lake County, always being known for his prompt | 23 |
| and diligent attention to his cases and for the fairness of his | 24 |
| decisions; and
| 25 |
| WHEREAS, In addition to his duties on the bench, he | 26 |
| actively went into the community routinely speaking at schools | 27 |
| and to parent groups about legal issues and participated in | 28 |
| school law related activities; he began the Law Merit Badge | 29 |
| program for Boy Scouts at the Lake County Courthouse; and
| 30 |
| WHEREAS, Judge Smoker was a devout Christian and attended |
|
|
|
SR0557 |
- 2 - |
LRB093 22225 HSS 51476 r |
|
| 1 |
| Christ Church in Lake Forest; he participated in Bible Study | 2 |
| and other small group programs; he was the founder of the | 3 |
| Christian Legal Fellowship of Lake County, a group of | 4 |
| Attorneys, Judges, and other members of the legal community who | 5 |
| meet to study the Bible and share fellowship weekly; he was | 6 |
| also a highly sought after speaker for devotional and spiritual | 7 |
| programs, Divinity Schools, and to those with serious physical | 8 |
| illnesses; and | 9 |
| WHEREAS, The passing of Judge Thomas R. Smoker will be | 10 |
| deeply felt by many, especially his wife, JoAnn (nee Goode); | 11 |
| and his loving children, Beth and Emily; his parents, Richard | 12 |
| and Frances Elizabeth Smoker; his brothers, James (Nicole) | 13 |
| Smoker and Stephen (Sharon) Smoker; his sisters, Linda (Tom) | 14 |
| Milbourne and Nancy (Ed) McCash; his many loving nieces and | 15 |
| nephews; and many dear friends and colleagues; and | 16 |
| WHEREAS, His family walked with him in his journey through | 17 |
| life and gave him strength and peace through their love and | 18 |
| faith in The Lord; therefore, be it
| 19 |
| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL | 20 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 21 |
| Judge Thomas R. Smoker along all who knew and loved him and | 22 |
| extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and | 23 |
| community; and be it further
| 24 |
| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 25 |
| presented to the family of Judge Thomas R. Smoker as an | 26 |
| expression of our deepest sympathy.
|
|