SR1013 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1013 LRB099 14376 MST 38471 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Donald "Doc" Shanower of Naperville, who passed away on September 14, 2015; and

WHEREAS, Donald Shanower was born in Ohio to Merl and Ella Shanower; he served in the United States Army during World War II, taking part in the Battle of the Bulge and earning a Purple Heart and other service medals; he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Kent State University; and

WHEREAS, Donald Shanower joined the faculty at North Central College in 1955 as an assistant professor in the speech and theater department; he earned his doctoral degree from the University of Michigan 4 years later; he established The Summer Place in 1966, creating a source for community theater that continues to thrive in the city; and

WHEREAS, Donald Shanower served as President of the Rotary Club of Naperville and volunteered at the Naper Settlement and the Bethlehem Center, now known as the Northern Illinois Food Bank; he and his wife traveled extensively, and in 1984, he was North Central College's first exchange professor to Hirosaki Gakuin College in Japan; and

WHEREAS, The North Central College varsity softball field bears the name "Shanower Family Field" in honor of Donald Shanower's love of the sport and the loss of his son, Dan, who lost his life in the terrorist attack on the Pentagon on September 11, 2001; and

WHEREAS, Donald Shanower was preceded in death by his parents; his siblings, Molly Jane, Robert, and Paul; and his son, U.S. Navy Cmdr. Dan Shanower; and

WHEREAS, Donald Shanower is survived by his wife of 64 years, Patricia; his children, Vicki (Ed) Wike, Paula (Bob) Coleman, Tom ('Ana) Shanower, and Jon Shanower; his 8 grandchildren, Rachel, John, and Molly Wike, Andrew Coleman, Elaine O'Kelley, and Matthew, Nicholas, and Stephanie Shanower; and his great-grandchild, Haven O'Kelley; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Donald "Doc" Shanower, and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Donald Shanower as an expression of our deepest sympathy.