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92_SJ0046
LRB9211243WHdv
1 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The Members of the Illinois General Assembly are
3 deeply saddened to learn of the death of Patricia A. Jones,
4 beloved wife of Senate Minority Leader Emil Jones, Jr., on
5 December 2, 2001; and
6 WHEREAS, She was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on
7 August 9, 1938, the third of eleven children of Leon and
8 Lucille Sterling; and
9 WHEREAS, Mrs. Jones was educated in the Catholic school
10 system in New Orleans, where she lived and became a teacher;
11 and
12 WHEREAS, As a young adult, Mrs. Jones moved with her
13 family to Chicago, where she attended Loyola University and
14 graduated from Chicago State University; and
15 WHEREAS, She counted among the many accomplishments in
16 her life the ability she had to make a difference in the
17 lives of children as a teacher, a volunteer at a local day
18 care center and as a curriculum coordinator for pre-school
19 and Head Start programs for the Title 20 program for the
20 Department of Human Services in Chicago; and
21 WHEREAS, She loved reading, traveling with her family,
22 cooking New Orleans-style Cajun dishes and volunteering for
23 special programs at various organizations even when she was
24 not a member of those groups; and
25 WHEREAS, In addition to her employment at the City of
26 Chicago Department of Human Services as a curriculum
27 coordinator for the Title 20 program, she also taught in the
28 pre-school program at the YMCA in Chicago; she was later
29 employed by the Chicago Transit Authority and as an assistant
30 general superintendent for the Department of Streets and
31 Sanitation for the City of Chicago; and
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1 WHEREAS, Community service was an integral part of her
2 life, Patricia Jones served as the school board president at
3 Holy Name of Mary Catholic School in Morgan Park; she was
4 active in her church, Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church in
5 Morgan Park, where she was a former member of the Ladies
6 Guild and an active member of the Pastoral Ministers of Care;
7 and
8 WHEREAS, She was also a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha
9 Sorority, an organization devoted to public service, and a
10 board member of the Beverly Arts Center; and
11 WHEREAS, Patricia "Pat" Sterling married Emil Jones, Jr.,
12 on December 14, 1974; and she was very devoted to their
13 children, John Sterling, Emil III, Renee Jones Rose, Emil
14 Alvarez Jones and Debra Jones, and grandchildren, Jonathan
15 and Alexandria Sterling; and
16 WHEREAS, She was as much a partner in her husband's
17 public life as she was in his private life, so much in fact
18 that he often referred to her "as the wind beneath my wings";
19 and
20 WHEREAS, Pat shared in her husband's passion for public
21 life, helping him build coalitions, advising him on key
22 decisions, helping with problem solving and traveling with
23 him to many places throughout the world, including China,
24 Italy, and the recent trip to South Africa in which they met
25 Nelson Mandela, and joining him in every aspect of his
26 calling that ultimately became their calling; and
27 WHEREAS, She will be deeply missed by all who knew and
28 loved her, especially her husband, Senate Minority Leader
29 Emil Jones, Jr.; their children, John Sterling, Emil III,
30 Renee Jones Rose, Emil Alvarez Jones and Debra Jones; two
31 grandchildren, Jonathan and Alexandria Sterling; four
32 brothers, Leon Sterling, Sr., Charles Sterling, Sr., Michelle
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1 Sterling and Andre Sterling; and three sisters, Nona Honore,
2 Lucille Williams and Maria Stevenson; therefore, be it
3 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL
4 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF
5 REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we mourn the passing
6 of Patricia A. Jones with her Family and all those who knew
7 and loved her; and be it further
8 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this preamble and
9 resolution be presented to the family of Patricia A. Jones
10 with our most heartfelt sympathies.