Full Text of HR0941 102nd General Assembly
HR0941 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Karen | 4 | | Beyer, a pillar of the Elgin community and the former CEO of | 5 | | the Ecker Center for Mental Health; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Karen Beyer was a native of Euclid, Ohio; she | 7 | | earned a bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University and | 8 | | three master's degrees; she earned her Master of Social Work | 9 | | from Loyola University; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, Karen Beyer spent 10 years as Director of Health | 11 | | and Human Services for the Village of Hoffman Estates and | 12 | | eight years as the executive director at the Larkin Center; | 13 | | for nearly 20 years, she worked at the Ecker Center to help | 14 | | reshape the conversation around mental health and eliminate | 15 | | the stigma toward people with mental illness; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, Karen Beyer became a figure on the national stage | 17 | | when she appeared before the Supreme Court in 1996 as part of | 18 | | the Jaffee vs. Redmond case to support privacy rights between | 19 | | therapists and patients; she was threatened with jail time for | 20 | | refusing to turn over her notes about counseling sessions with | 21 | | a Hoffman Estates police officer involved in a shooting; the | 22 | | Supreme Court ruled in favor of Beyer and the protection of |
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| 1 | | privacy rights; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Karen Beyer retired from the Ecker Center in 2019 | 3 | | but continued working as a board member for the Elgin Area | 4 | | League of Women Voters and, most recently, as an appointee to | 5 | | the Township's new 708 Mental Health Board; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Karen Beyer spent her life helping people, | 7 | | especially those who don't often have the opportunity to get | 8 | | help; she leaves behind generations of individuals who she | 9 | | helped during her five decade career in social work and mental | 10 | | health advocacy; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, Karen Beyer was strong, creative, and passionate, | 12 | | and her friends remember her as a warrior, a gentle soul, and a | 13 | | blessing; and
| 14 | | WHEREAS, Karen Beyer is survived by her husband of 15 | 15 | | years, Joe Follrath; her daughter, Jennifer Beyer Zielinski; | 16 | | her stepchildren, Tim Follrath and Hollee Koszewski; and seven | 17 | | grandchildren; therefore, be it
| 18 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 19 | | HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 20 | | we mourn the passing of Karen Beyer and extend our sincere | 21 | | condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved |
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| 1 | | her; and be it further
| 2 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 3 | | presented to the family of Karen Beyer as an expression of our | 4 | | deepest sympathy.
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