SR0898 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0898 LRB094 21984 KXB 60495 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to extend their sincere condolences to the family and friends of Jack T. Knuepfer, who passed away on September 13, 2006; and

WHEREAS, Jack Knuepfer was a graduate of Oak Park River Forest High School; he was an Eagle Scout by the age of 17; in 1941 he worked with the British Army as an ambulance driver in North Africa until the United States entered the war; he then served with the United States Army until the end of the war; and

WHEREAS, Jack Knuepfer and his wife, Virginia "Dinny" were married in 1948; he received a Master's degree in business from the University of Chicago; he then worked at his father's business, General Engineering Works; and

WHEREAS, After his basement flooded and he became disappointed in the response of the city officials, he made a successful bid for a seat on the Elmhurst City Council, and became an alderman, serving from 1954 to 1958; and

WHEREAS, After leaving city politics, he returned to the family business, but he returned to politics in 1964 when he won a seat in the Illinois House of Representatives; two years later, he moved to the Illinois Senate and served as an Illinois Senator for eight years until 1974; and

WHEREAS, Four years later, he again returned to politics when he was elected as the DuPage County Board Chairman; he served in that position until 1990; and

WHEREAS, During his political career, Jack Knuepfer led efforts to create an intergovernmental storm-water management committee in DuPage County; under his leadership the Elmhurst-Chicago Stone Quarry was purchased in 1992 to help prevent flooding in DuPage homes; and

WHEREAS, His hard work in the community included lobbying for legislation creating the DuPage County Water Commission, overseeing the extension of the North/South Tollway, the widening of Naperville Road in Wheaton, establishing the DuPage Airport Authority as an economic engine for commercial development, and the extension of Diehl Road in Naperville; he was honored in 2000 when the county administration building was renamed in his honor; and

WHEREAS, Jack T. Knuepfer is survived by his wife, Virginia "Dinny"; his children, Claude (Karen), Mark (Margo), Barbara (John), and Sue (Andrew); his daughter-in-law, Nancy; his grandchildren, Kathy, Paul, Amy, Kaylen, Aleksandra, Jack, Jacob, Adam, Kevin, Daniel, Samantha, Kasey, Christian, and Charlie; his great-granchildren, Connor, Kailey, Kyle, and Joshua; his sister-in-law, Joyce; his sister, Marilyn (Burt); and many nieces and nephews; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Jack T. Knuepfer; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Jack T. Knuepfer.