SR0395 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0395 LRB096 14498 KXB 29326 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Michael McLaughlin of Queens, New York, who passed away on August 9, 2009; and

WHEREAS, Michael was born October 26, 1970 in Berkeley, California, to Rohana and Lucas McLaughlin; he grew up in the shadow of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County where his love for the outdoors was nurtured; as the oldest of three children, he played the role of quintessential joker as well as mentor and coach; and

WHEREAS, He attended Sarah Lawrence College where he studied theater; after college, he and his late friend, Jordan Berlant, moved to New York; their West Village apartment, nicknamed "The Tiny Happy", became a haven for an entire community of artists, musicians, and theater folks who inspired each other at regular "salons"; and

WHEREAS, Michael moved to San Francisco where he met his future wife, Lauren; at their wedding on July 28, 2002, they vowed to value their relationship over being right and to value each other's dreams and struggles; together they created a life that brought them on a tour of the most expensive cities in America, including San Francisco, Boston, and finally New York, where Michael earned his Masters degree in film from Columbia University; and

WHEREAS, Along the way Michael helped Lauren to start her own business and Lauren helped Michael to pursue his career as a filmmaker, editor, and screenwriter; they both laughed together, danced as much as possible, adored each other, and looked for new opportunities to live life to the fullest; and

WHEREAS, During Michael's career he worked with many incredible people in different media including live theater, puppetry, and short fiction; Michael was an emerging filmmaker whose short film "Shadow Puppets of Doom" was widely shown in film festivals and won the "Best Screenplay" award in the Marin County Film Festival; one of his final projects was a pilot reality television show that would inspire others to go after what they want in life; and

WHEREAS, Michael was always in search of the next adventure, whether it was whitewater rafting, skydiving, backpacking, wandering into bookstores in the West Village, traveling, juggling, eating pie and foods he couldn't pronounce, and following his intense commitment to his study of Karate; Michael's infectious delight in playful creativity, his oddball and far-fetched plots, his optimism, and his determination will be remembered with love; and

WHEREAS, He will be missed by his wife, Lauren McLaughlin; his mother, Rohana McLaughlin; his sister, Halima; his brother, Marlon; his cousin, Vanessa Kummerle; his uncle, Clyde Kummerle; his extended family; and his strong circle of friends; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Michael McLaughlin; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Michael McLaughlin as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.