SR0408 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0408 LRB096 14722 GRL 29567 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of William T. Jensen III; and

WHEREAS, William Jensen III came into this world on August 2, 1927; he was raised in Northbrook; at the age of 12, he joined the Boy Scouts of America, where he ultimately earned the rank of Eagle Scout, Scouting's highest honor; throughout his life, he persistently abided by the Scouting pledge of "on my honor, I will do my best"; and

WHEREAS, William Jensen III served his country with pride and distinction in the United States Army as an announcer for Armed Forces Radio in Vienna, Austria; and

WHEREAS, In 1948, William Jensen III began his career at Methode Electronics; during this time, he also attended Northwestern University; during his tenure at Methode Electronics, he ascended the ranks, ultimately becoming Vice-President, President, and Chairman of the Board of Directors; his inventions, direction, leadership, and wisdom were an inspiration to his colleagues for more than 56 years; and

WHEREAS, William Jensen III and his wife, Peg, later made their home in Wayne, where they lived on their beloved Deerwood Farm; much of their time was devoted to conservation projects, including the re-establishment of a native Illinois prairie and the creation of a pond to preserve, conserve, and restore native flora and fauna, complete with habitats for birds, butterflies, deer, and frogs; Mr. Jensen also served as a Kane County Frog Monitor for Chicago Wilderness; and

WHEREAS, William Jensen III supported the re-establishment of native prairie plants at the Village of Wayne parks known as Misty's Meadow and Wayne Prairie Garden; and

WHEREAS, William Jensen III was a long-time member of the Wayne-DuPage Hunt, where he hosted the much-anticipated Stirrup Cup; he was also an avid supporter of equestrian activities, generously allowing the use of Deerwood Farm for equestrian use; and

WHEREAS, William Jensen III was responsible for the restoration and preservation of numerous historic buildings in Barrington and Wayne; and

WHEREAS, William Jensen III was an active member of his community; he partnered with Wayne Elementary School for numerous educational programs at Deerwood Farm; he donated land to the Village of Wayne Historic and Rural Preservation Program; he granted numerous conservation easements; he also drove his 1947 Deerwood Farm Fire Truck in the annual Village Flag Day Parade; in recognition of his many contributions to the Village of Wayne, he and his wife were recognized as Wayne Citizens of the Year in 2006; and

WHEREAS, William Jensen III further served the Village of Wayne by holding the unpaid position of Village Trustee, beginning in December of 2000; he was eventually reelected 3 times, most recently in April of 2009; during his tenure, he served as chairman of the Finance and Long Range Plan Committees; and

WHEREAS, Sadly, William Jensen III recently passed away from this life to the next; 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 William T. Jensen III and honor him for his many contributions to industry, conservation, and historic preservation in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of William Jensen III as an expression of our sympathy.