SR0592 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0592 LRB096 15986 KXB 31231 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of John Stolarz of Batavia, who passed away on October 29, 2009; and

WHEREAS, He was born November 12, 1911, in Passaic, New Jersey, the son of Polish immigrants who arrived in the United States via Ellis Island; his birth was an interesting one, as his mother went into labor while doing the polka at a local dance, which may explain his love for the dance; he graduated from Rutherford High School in 1932, where he enjoyed theater and sports; he graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1936 with a degree in psychology and a minor in religious studies; he played on the school's football team as a running back, playing against such notable opponents as Vince Lombardi; and

WHEREAS, His first job as a young man was selling potatoes from a wagon; after college, he worked in sales for DeWalt Tools and Delta Faucets; he later took a job in Washington, D.C., working for the Department of Defense where he helped design and build pre-fabricated barracks that went up in World War II to house troops; although he was a pacifist, he helped rebuild Europe as part of the Marshall Plan where he was integral in distributing tools and machinery; he showed small groups of displaced peoples how to construct moveable workshops inside delivery trucks; and

WHEREAS, After his time in Europe, he returned home and found work in Milwaukee and met Dorothy Naleway; in 1951, they were married; John and Dorothy moved to Batavia in 1962, where he was recruited by Sears to be a sales manager; he retired from that position in 1975; and

WHEREAS, Upon retirement, he became an active member of the Batavia political community; in 1983, he was elected as an alderman, serving the 1st Ward for two terms until 1991; during that time he oversaw the construction of a playground in the Woodland Hills subdivision; and

WHEREAS, John was preceded in death by his parents; his beloved wife, Dorothy; and his daughter, Joan Kunzler; and

WHEREAS, John Stolarz is survived by his loving children, Janet Althouse, Jean Sheffer, Ron Stolarz, and Jade (Richard) Oliver; his seven grandchildren; his ten great-grandchildren; his sister, Mildred Sanzare; his brother, Matt Stolarz; and an amazing amount of dear 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 John Stolarz; and be it further

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