HJ0056 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0056 LRB095 11999 KXB 35657 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly join together in honoring the memory of Donald E. Stephens, Mayor of the Village of Rosemont, who passed away on April 18, 2007; and

WHEREAS, Donald Stephens was the first and only chief executive of Rosemont; he was serving his 13th term as mayor, believed to be the longest serving incumbent mayor in the country; under his leadership the Rosemont community became one of the most progressive and successful municipalities in the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Donald Stephens was elected president of the homeowner's association in the 1950s and began to see the potential in living close to O'Hare Airport; he was able to incorporate the village in 1956; and

WHEREAS, He oversaw the building of one of the first Hyatt Regency hotels in his community; eventually 14 hotels would make Rosemont their home; he oversaw the creation of the O'Hare Exposition Center in 1975 (changed in 2000 to the Donald E. Stephens Convention and Conference Center), now one of the top ten centers in the country, the Rosemont Horizon in 1980 (now the Allstate Arena), home to the DePaul Blue Demons, the Chicago Wolves, and the Chicago Rush sports teams, as well as a venue for major music concerts and festivals, and the Rosemont Theatre, a 4,000 seat venue that is home to the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra of Rosemont; and

WHEREAS, At the time of his passing Mayor Stephens was creating Rosemont Walk, a $500 million entertainment district that will include a movie theatre megaplex, three new hotels, the biggest water park in the State, nationally famous restaurants, and many more businesses for the community; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Mayor Donald Stephens will be deeply felt by those who knew and loved him, especially his wife, Katherine; his brother, Arthur; his son, Donald E. Stephens II, his son, Mark Stephens; his daughter, Gail Stephens; his son, Bradley Stephens; his grandchildren, Donald E. Stephens III, Christopher R. Stephens, Brittany Rosemont, Jacqueline, Michelle, Kaila, Tiana, Racquel, Mark Richard, Mark Donald, and Danny; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we mourn, along with his family, friends, and the Rosemont community, the passing of Mayor Donald E. Stephens; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Mayor Donald E. Stephens as a symbol of our sympathy.