Bill Text: IL SR1254 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the passing of Barbara Alexander Mullarkey.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2021-01-13 - Resolution Adopted [SR1254 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2019-SR1254-Introduced.html
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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | ||||||
3 | learn of the death of Barbara Alexander Mullarkey, who passed | ||||||
4 | away on April 15, 2020 at the age of 84; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Barbara Mullarkey was born on August 1, 1935 in | ||||||
6 | Oak Park to Olive (Kennedy) and Benjamin Alexander; she | ||||||
7 | graduated from Ascension School in 1949, Trinity High School in | ||||||
8 | 1953, and Rosary College (now Dominican University) in 1957; | ||||||
9 | her Trinity and Rosary friendships lasted throughout her | ||||||
10 | lifetime and were highlighted by cherished reunions every | ||||||
11 | summer that spanned over 60 years; and
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12 | WHEREAS, Barbara Mullarkey worked at Commonwealth Edison | ||||||
13 | after college, demonstrating new-era electric appliances at a | ||||||
14 | time when women were just starting the fight for work force | ||||||
15 | equality; a true trailblazer, she had a company car and an | ||||||
16 | expense account; and
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17 | WHEREAS, Barbara Mullarkey met her future husband, John | ||||||
18 | Mullarkey, while at ComEd, and they planted deep roots in Oak | ||||||
19 | Park with their five children on the infamous 200 block of | ||||||
20 | South Elmwood with a colorful group of neighbors who would | ||||||
21 | quickly become and remain a family; with over 100 children | ||||||
22 | living on the block, she became the organizer of iconic block |
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1 | parties that were the highlight of the kids' summers, including | ||||||
2 | water balloon wars and epic block-wide scavenger hunts, as well | ||||||
3 | as "Spooktacular" haunted houses at Halloween; and
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4 | WHEREAS, Barbara Mullarkey was a fixture at Ascension | ||||||
5 | School and St. Luke School, Lincoln Elementary, Roosevelt | ||||||
6 | Middle School, WSSRA, Oak Park-River Forest youth programs, and | ||||||
7 | Oak Park River Forest High School, where she was one of their | ||||||
8 | longest-tenured sports fans; she attended over 1,000 games and | ||||||
9 | traveled over 10,000 miles, supporting her grandkids and their | ||||||
10 | teammates and loving every minute of it; she knew the coaches, | ||||||
11 | refs, umpires and scorekeepers and was never afraid to share | ||||||
12 | her opinions and statistics; and
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13 | WHEREAS, Barbara Mullarkey advocated for the most | ||||||
14 | vulnerable and felt strongly about lending her voice and energy | ||||||
15 | to causes that protected the environment; she was not afraid to | ||||||
16 | express her perspective and concerns with presidents, | ||||||
17 | senators, congressmen, village presidents, trustees, and state | ||||||
18 | senators, including regular, vigorous, and enthusiastic | ||||||
19 | communiques to one Senator Don Harmon; and
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20 | WHEREAS, Barbara Mullarkey championed many nutrition, | ||||||
21 | health, and wellness causes; her crusades involved educating | ||||||
22 | others on ingredients and chemicals in our food, drink, and | ||||||
23 | medicine supply, banning pesticides in parks, raising |
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1 | awareness of the harmful effects of AstroTurf, fighting | ||||||
2 | fracking and smart meters, advocating removal of mercury from | ||||||
3 | vaccines, raising mental health awareness, and promoting | ||||||
4 | alternative medicine ideologies, such as acupuncture, massage, | ||||||
5 | and homeopathy; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Barbara Mullarkey had many passions that included | ||||||
7 | being a founding member and nutrition columnist for the | ||||||
8 | Wednesday Journal, a journalist for Oak Park News, Conscious | ||||||
9 | Choice, and Vegetarian Times, a proud supporter of Maryville | ||||||
10 | Academy, Oak Leyden Developmental Services, and WSSRA, an | ||||||
11 | advocate for prison food reform, a charter member of Handy | ||||||
12 | Hands, a tireless Ascension School volunteer, and an OPRF | ||||||
13 | Huskie Booster Club member; she supported IVAC, the Oak Park | ||||||
14 | Environmental Network, and HOPP and was a Nutrivoice editor; | ||||||
15 | she was the author of Bittersweet Aspartame: A Diet Delusion, | ||||||
16 | and a children's book agent; and
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17 | WHEREAS, Barbara Mullarkey was true to herself and all | ||||||
18 | those she loved; if she had one wish, she would want everyone | ||||||
19 | to be good to themselves and others, living by the Shakespeare | ||||||
20 | quote "To thine own self be true"; and
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21 | WHEREAS, Barbara Mullarkey adored her family and was | ||||||
22 | treasured by her friends to whom she was a confidant and | ||||||
23 | advisor; she was known for her generous spirit, warmth, |
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1 | kindness, and inquisitive soul, and her true legacy is her 11 | ||||||
2 | grandchildren whom she considered her proudest | ||||||
3 | accomplishments; and
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4 | WHEREAS, Barbara Mullarkey was preceded in death by John T. | ||||||
5 | Mullarkey, and her sisters, Elizabeth Alexander, Lorraine | ||||||
6 | (Bob) Carpenter, Mary Clare, and Regina Alexander; and
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7 | WHEREAS, Barbara Mullarkey is survived by her devoted | ||||||
8 | children, John Patrick, Ellen (Scott) Nelson, Daniel (Lauren | ||||||
9 | Sherman), Karen (Marty) Kerrins, and Ann (Daniel) Ganschow; her | ||||||
10 | grandchildren, Kiley, Allie, Maeve, Grace, Johnny, Riley, | ||||||
11 | Keegan, Regan, Patrick, Connor, and Declan; her many nieces, | ||||||
12 | nephews and cousins; and many friends; therefore, be it
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13 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | ||||||
14 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
15 | Barbara Alexander Mullarkey and extend our sincere condolences | ||||||
16 | to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be | ||||||
17 | it further
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18 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
19 | presented to the family of Barbara Mullarkey as an expression | ||||||
20 | of our deepest sympathy.
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