Bill Text: IL SR0210 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the passing of Lesley Swick Van Ness of Morton, formerly of Quincy.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-04-20 - Resolution Adopted [SR0210 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-SR0210-Introduced.html
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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened | ||||||
3 | to learn of the death of Lesley Swick Van Ness of Morton, | ||||||
4 | formerly of Quincy, who passed away on April 10, 2023; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Lesley Van Ness was born to Sterling and Jan | ||||||
6 | (Johnson) Swick in Macomb on December 28, 1980; she graduated | ||||||
7 | from Hamilton High School in 1999; she earned her Bachelor of | ||||||
8 | Science from Illinois State University in 2003, where she was | ||||||
9 | a member of the ISU Department of Communications TV-10 news | ||||||
10 | team; she married Thomas "Tom" Van Ness at St. John's Anglican | ||||||
11 | Parish in Quincy on June 2, 2012; and
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12 | WHEREAS, Lesley Van Ness began her long and distinguished | ||||||
13 | career in TV after graduation, starting as an intern at WGEM; | ||||||
14 | she began full-time employment in 2003, serving in the Macomb | ||||||
15 | Bureau before earning her first promotion as weekend anchor; | ||||||
16 | she was promoted again to primary evening anchor for the | ||||||
17 | newscasts at 5:00 and 10:00 p.m. in 2008; she began anchoring | ||||||
18 | all three evening broadcasts in 2010; during her 13-plus years | ||||||
19 | at WGEM, her work on air and producing newscasts was | ||||||
20 | award-winning, her dedication to the viewers and industry was | ||||||
21 | exemplary, and her smile and charisma made her a household | ||||||
22 | name in the tristate area; after her on-air career, she | ||||||
23 | continued working for Quincy Media as its first recruitment |
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1 | specialist; and
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2 | WHEREAS, After Gray Television acquired Quincy Media in | ||||||
3 | 2021, Lesley Van Ness was asked to develop the recruitment | ||||||
4 | division as its first director of talent acquisition; she | ||||||
5 | created the foundation and blueprint for fellowship programs, | ||||||
6 | paid internships, and opportunities for future journalists in | ||||||
7 | over 113 television markets across the United States; she was | ||||||
8 | a highly prized contact for students in the hunt for careers in | ||||||
9 | journalism as she fought for and mentored students in their | ||||||
10 | journey to become journalists; and
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11 | WHEREAS, Lesley Van Ness was a devoted partner to her | ||||||
12 | husband, Tom; together, they enjoyed many adventures, | ||||||
13 | including the three-day run up in Wrigleyville for the 2016 | ||||||
14 | Cubs World Series win, all-night round trips to Duke | ||||||
15 | University's appearance in the 2015 Final Four and its fifth | ||||||
16 | NCAA title, many Dave Matthews and Bon Jovi concerts, shows on | ||||||
17 | Broadway in New York City, and honky-tonks in Nashville; they | ||||||
18 | also loved visiting the beach and spending time on Marco | ||||||
19 | Island, Florida; their most enjoyable adventure was raising | ||||||
20 | their two boys; and
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21 | WHEREAS, Lesley Van Ness was the consummate professional | ||||||
22 | and an exceptional wife and mother who taught her children the | ||||||
23 | importance of reading, safety, learning, and love; she will be |
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1 | remembered with respect and admiration; and
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2 | WHEREAS, Lesley Van Ness was preceded in death by her | ||||||
3 | maternal grandmother, Annalee Johnson; her paternal | ||||||
4 | grandparents, Vernon and Nellie Swick; her maternal uncle, | ||||||
5 | Rick Johnson; her grandparents-in-law, Thomas and Anne Oakley | ||||||
6 | and Albert and Judy Van Ness; and her stepfather-in-law, Steve | ||||||
7 | Winters; and
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8 | WHEREAS, Lesley Swick Van Ness is survived by her husband; | ||||||
9 | her sons, Sterling Thomas Van Ness and Cameron Lyle Van Ness; | ||||||
10 | her parents; her aunts, Joanna (Barry) Wright, Cathy Johnson, | ||||||
11 | and Cathy (Blake) Haskins; her uncles, Tom (Jane) Swick and | ||||||
12 | Terry (Pam) Swick; her cousins, Megan (Chris) Atkinson, Jared | ||||||
13 | (Kat) Wright, Marty (Julie) Gleason, Sara (Jade) Haskins, | ||||||
14 | Ashley (Michael) Kowall, Amanda (Che') Humphrey, Todd Swick, | ||||||
15 | Amy Rea, Justin (Mindy) Johnson, Andy (Melissa) Johnson, and | ||||||
16 | Krista Johnson; her nieces, Brylee Cook and Allison Icenogle; | ||||||
17 | her mother-in-law, Mary Winters; her father-in-law, Jon (Tina) | ||||||
18 | Van Ness; her siblings-in-law, Ben (Amanda) Van Ness and | ||||||
19 | Jonathan (Mark Peacock) Van Ness; her stepsister-in-law, | ||||||
20 | Jennifer (Don) Krutmeier; and numerous other cousins, nieces, | ||||||
21 | and nephews; therefore, be it
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22 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | ||||||
23 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of |
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1 | Lesley Swick Van Ness and extend our sincere condolences to | ||||||
2 | her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it | ||||||
3 | further
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4 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
5 | presented to the family of Lesley Van Ness as an expression of | ||||||
6 | our deepest sympathy.
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