HR0993 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0993 LRB094 19818 HSS 56804 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois learned with sadness of the death of Ola Marie Bundy of Normal on Saturday, February 18, 2006; and

WHEREAS, She was born on August 4, 1935, on a farm in Allerton to Ervin Stanley and Marie Magdelena Rohl Bundy; she was a 1953 graduate of Champaign High School, where she was involved in various GAA activities, sang in the chorus, served as vice president of the senior class, and was editor of the school yearbook; she went on to graduate from the University of Illinois, where she majored in physical education and was awarded a letter for her participation in the school's athletic teams; she later did postgraduate work at the U of I and at Northern Illinois University; and

WHEREAS, After college, Ms. Bundy taught high school for eight and a half years at Grant Park, Thornton Fractional South, and her alma mater in Champaign, before joining the Illinois High School Association; and

WHEREAS, In 1967, she joined the Illinois High School Association as an assistant executive director in charge of girls athletics; after Title IX was passed in 1972, the IHSA established several state tournaments for girls, and Ms. Bundy was in charge of all of them; throughout her career at IHSA, she provided uncompromising leadership for girls athletic programs in Illinois and across the nation; she wrote the IHSA's affirmative action policy for girls playing in boys state series and helped write the Illinois State Board of Education's sex equity rules that served as the model for many other states; in 1993 she testified at a Congressional hearing on girls athletic participation; and

WHEREAS, During her 29-year career with IHSA, she shepherded girls athletics from the early days of GAA and postal tournaments to a full-scale, 12-sport, interscholastic state tournament lineup that was every bit the equivalent of boys programs; many times it was only by the sheer force of her personality that she was able to persuade high school administrators to give girls athletics a fair shake; and

WHEREAS, She had the distinction of being the first person inducted into the Illinois Girls Coaches Association Hall of Fame; she was a member of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, a member of the Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and a member of Champaign Central High School's Hall of Fame; she was inducted into the National Federation Hall of Fame in 1996 for her national leadership in the rise of girls interscholastic athletic programs; she also received special recognition for her work from the Illinois Swimming Association, the Illinois High School Girls Gymnastics Coaches Association, the United States Volleyball Association, the Illinois State Board of Education, and the National Association for Girls and Women's Sports; she served on the U.S. Olympic Women's Volleyball Committee for the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games; and she also received the prestigious Woman of Distinction in Education award; and

WHEREAS, She enjoyed working with the schools and student-athletes; she took great pride in providing equitable opportunities for the boys and girls sports programs in Illinois and was a great leader and role model; she loved to travel, read, play golf, work crossword and sudoku puzzles, and visit with family and friends; she was a vocal supporter of IHSA, ISU, U of I, and Cubs sports events; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Ola Marie Bundy has been deeply felt by many, especially her brothers, Stanley Eugene (Jan) Bundy and Ervin Caleb (Diane) Bundy; her sisters, Dr. Janet Kjestene Bundy and Esther Yvonne (Larry) Lutz; and her many close nieces and nephews as well as many wonderful friends; she was preceded in death by her parents and her infant sister, Alma Jean; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Ola Marie Bundy, and we extend our deepest sympathy 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 her family as an expression of our sincerest condolences.