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92_HR0103
LRB9208367RHrh
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives wish to express their sincere condolences to
4 the family and friends of Dr. Mercedier C. deFreitas Goodwin,
5 who passed away on February 15, 2001; and
6 WHEREAS, Dr. Goodwin was born on August 9, 1922 in
7 Chicago, Illinois, to doctors Clement M. and Bernyece N.
8 deFreitas; she was the widow of the former City Civil Service
9 Commissioner and former State Representative, Atty. Quentin
10 J. Goodwin; and
11 WHEREAS, Dr. Goodwin graduated from Englewood High
12 School; she earned her degree from Lincoln University in
13 1944, received a Master of Art's from DePaul University in
14 1961 and a doctorate in Education from Northern Illinois
15 University in 1974; she completed subsequent studies at the
16 John F. Kennedy School of Government and Harvard University
17 in 1976; and
18 WHEREAS, After completing her volunteer service with the
19 Red Cross in Germany at the end of World War II, Dr. Goodwin
20 returned to Chicago and taught at several elementary schools
21 before becoming an instructor in education at Central YMCA
22 Community College and at Illinois Teachers College in 1961;
23 she later became the Director of Special Education for the
24 Summit District with subsequent principalships at Garfield
25 School in Blue Island and Walker School in Bedford Park; she
26 was later appointed to the Illinois State Board of Education,
27 where she authored several papers on public education; and
28 she served as project manager during the local campaigns of
29 the United Negro College Fund in years 1998, 1999, and 2000;
30 and
31 WHEREAS, In 1975, Dr. Goodwin was appointed to the
32 position of Deputy Director of the Office of Employment and
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1 Training under Mayor Richard J. Daley; due to her involvement
2 in health issues, she served as the Special Assistant to the
3 Commissioner of the city's Department of Health/Board of
4 Health in 1981; she later served as Secretary and Board
5 Member of the Midwest Association of Sickle Cell Anemia, a
6 disease which one one her uncles researched for more than 30
7 years; she was also a member of the Community Advisory
8 Council of the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical
9 Center where she served as Chairperson, and Early Outreach,
10 an Urban Health Program at the same Center; and
11 WHEREAS, In 1990, Dr. Goodwin directed the Chicago
12 Department of Transportation's Community Service Program as
13 Assistant Commissioner, a role in which she represented the
14 City of Chicago at several trade shows, conventions,
15 neighborhood events, and at meetings of local councils; some
16 proud accomplishments that were a result of her efforts were
17 the installation of globular lanterns along Lake Shore Drive,
18 and the department's determination to open the contract
19 awards process to more competitors, especially minority
20 contractors; and
21 WHEREAS, Dr. Goodwin received many distinctions and
22 awards during her outstanding career, and they include the
23 City's Kathy Osterman Outstanding Executive Award in 2000,
24 her induction into Pi Lambda Theta (National Honor Society
25 for Doctoral Women), International Women in Government's
26 Woman of the Year, and a listing in Cambridge University's
27 International Who's Who of Intellectuals; she was one of a
28 limited number of panelists/presenters in Nairobi, Kenya, at
29 the World Conference of Women in 1985; and recently she
30 earned a selection and listing in Ebony and Black Enterprises
31 magazines as one of the top black females who have made
32 significant achievements in government and education within
33 the United States; she is also included in Who's Who Among
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1 Black Americans; and
2 WHEREAS, Dr. Goodwin's life was a celebration of many
3 activities that involved her family, pets, and traveling; she
4 helped establish the local chapter of the Circle-Lets, Inc,
5 where she served as national President for two terms; she was
6 made a sorer of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority during college,
7 and continued to participate with graduate chapters and
8 eventually held national office; she served and led the
9 Tenants Council at Lake Meadows and was a member at St.
10 Edmund's Episcopal Church; she traveled over the United
11 States to be a judge at dog and cat shows, and had remained a
12 member of Cat Fanciers Association; she had bred prize
13 winning cats and dogs and was a member of the Chicago
14 Commission on Animal Care and Control; and
15 WHEREAS, The passing of Dr. Mercedier C. deFreitas
16 Goodwin will be deeply felt by all who knew and loved her,
17 especially her son, Dr. H. Milano Mellon; her sisters,
18 Camille Malins-Smith, Carmela Rabjohn, Carmita Joaquin, Dr.
19 Candice deFreitas, and Dr. Crystal deFreitas; her brothers,
20 Marcellus (wife, Lorraine) Henderson, and Antonio deFreitas;
21 her granddaughters, Maygan Mellon-Alvarado and Maya Mellon;
22 and her several nieces and nephews; therefore, be it
23 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
24 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
25 we mourn, along with all who knew her, the death of Dr.
26 Mercedier C. deFreitas Goodwin of Chicago, Illinois; and be
27 it further
28 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
29 presented to the family of Dr. Mercedier C. deFreitas Goodwin
30 with our sincere condolences.