Bill Text: OR SCR12 | 2013 | Regular Session | Enrolled

Oregon Senate Concurrent Resolution 12 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: In memoriam: Tom Whelan, 1948-2012.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2013-05-29 - Filed With Secretary of State. [SCR12 Detail]

Download: Oregon-2013-SCR12-Enrolled.html



     77th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2013 Regular Session

                            Enrolled

                 Senate Concurrent Resolution 12

Sponsored by Senators ROSENBAUM, WINTERS; Senators BAERTSCHIGER
  JR, BATES, BEYER, BOQUIST, BURDICK, CLOSE, COURTNEY, DEVLIN,
  DINGFELDER, EDWARDS, FERRIOLI, GEORGE, GIROD, HANSELL, HASS,
  JOHNSON, KNOPP, KRUSE, MONNES ANDERSON, OLSEN, PROZANSKI,
  SHIELDS, STARR, STEINER HAYWARD, THOMSEN, WHITSETT

  Whereas Tom Whelan ably served his state and community during
more than 30 years of public service, including a term in the
Oregon House of Representatives; and
  Whereas Tom Whelan's public service also included a career as a
Salem firefighter, from which he retired in 1998 as a captain;
and
  Whereas in addition to working as a firefighter, Tom Whelan
served as a lobbyist for the Oregon State Fire Fighters Council
and as the vice president and contract negotiator for his union;
and
  Whereas Tom Whelan worked as a lobbyist to improve retirement
benefits for firefighters in this state; and
  Whereas Tom Whelan also served as vice chair of the Public
Employees Retirement Board; and
  Whereas Tom Whelan served as a citizen representative to the
board of trustees of the Fire and Police Disability and
Retirement Fund and the budget committee of Portland Fire and
Rescue; and
  Whereas Tom Whelan's early years were also marked by
accomplishment, including his college years as an English major
at Willamette University and his membership on the Bearcats
football team; and
  Whereas Tom Whelan led the Bearcats to the national semifinals
in 1968; and
  Whereas Tom Whelan led a personal life rich in humor and love
for the arts, history, poetry, science and woodworking; and
  Whereas Tom Whelan authored the children's book  { - Rudy - },
about a firefighter who rescued a cat stuck in a tree, and read
the book to students as a volunteer for Read Across America; and
  Whereas Tom Whelan's crowning personal achievement was his
contribution to the enactment in 2007 of laws limiting cigarette
sales in Oregon to fire-safe cigarettes, which he fought to pass
for three years; and
  Whereas Tom Whelan also fought against alcoholism and diabetes,
helping several friends overcome their addictions with his loving
intervention and support; and
  Whereas Tom Whelan died suddenly of heart failure related to
his diabetes; and
  Whereas Tom Whelan was the son of former State Representative
Edward Whelan and proud father of actress Julia Whelan; and
  Whereas Tom Whelan also leaves behind his first wife, Lillian
Bladine, his second wife, Laurie Wimmer, and two step-children,
Riley and Griffin Wimminger; and
  Whereas Tom Whelan will be remembered as a humble,
self-deprecating man who genuinely loved people and loved hearing
their stories; now, therefore,

Enrolled Senate Concurrent Resolution 12 (SCR 12-INTRO)    Page 1

Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of
  Oregon:

  That we, the members of the Seventy-seventh Legislative
Assembly, honor and celebrate Tom Whelan for his extraordinary
life and devotion to public service; and be it further
  Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be presented to Tom
Whelan's family as an expression of our sympathy and condolences.
                         ----------

                                Adopted by Senate March 26, 2013

                               ----------------------------------
                                   Robert Taylor, Secretary of
                                             Senate

                               ----------------------------------
                                  Peter Courtney, President of
                                             Senate

                                  Adopted by House May 23, 2013

                               ----------------------------------
                                  Tina Kotek, Speaker of House

Enrolled Senate Concurrent Resolution 12 (SCR 12-INTRO)    Page 2