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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Valda A. "Val" Camilletti of Cicero, who
4passed away on July 24, 2018 at the age of 78; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Val Camilletti was born to Italian immigrants
6Norma Mary and Quinto Camilletti and spoke Italian before
7English; her father was a factory worker who came from Perugia,
8Italy on a boat named after the opera composer, Guiseppe Verdi;
9she grew up on the West Side of Chicago in the Austin
10neighborhood and graduated from Austin High School; she then
11moved to Oak Park before settling in Cicero; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Three days after graduating from high school, Val
13Camilletti began her career at Continental Bank; in 1962, she
14accepted a job at Capitol Records and worked in their Chicago
15offices on Michigan Avenue; her duties included promoting
16records, working with radio stations, and organizing sock hops;
17in 1967, she moved to NMC Discount Records, where she managed
18various stores; when they went out of business in 1972, she
19took over the Oak Park shop on Ridgeland Avenue; the store
20eventually moved to 723 1/2 South Boulevard and became "Val's
21halla Records"; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Val Camilletti described her store as "a unique

 

 

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1musical landscape" filled with thousands of 45s, LPs,
2cassettes, and CDs in every conceivable music category; "Val's
3halla" was the place to go for music lovers from all
4generations and walks of life; her regular customers, including
5the late actor John Mahoney of Oak Park, stayed loyal even
6through the music industry's dramatic change to digital
7technology; the store also included a shrine to Elvis for those
8who felt the need to pay their respects; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Val Camilletti was involved in the folk scene in
10the 1950s and early 1960s and was friends with American country
11folk singers and songwriters John Prine and Steve Goodman; they
12later visited her store and shared their latest music with her
13and her patrons; her knowledge of music was encyclopedic and
14ran the gamut from classical to folk, choral to hip hop to
15opera and everything in between; her storytelling abilities
16were wide ranging, which made frequenting her establishment
17more than a shopping experience; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Throughout her nearly 46 years in business, Val
19Camilletti shaped thousands of lives through her passion for
20music; she was a great curator of music and promoter of
21musicians, including those who lived in her neighborhood; her
22enthusiasm for all things music and everything having to do
23with community was infectious; she welcomed musicians,
24especially high school students, to play in her shop; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Val Camilletti was lovingly referred to as the
2community therapist and was known for her loyalty and magnetic
3energy; she was someone people came to for advice or a shoulder
4to cry on; she was simultaneously demanding, hilarious,
5generous, passionate, charming, and boisterous; she had
6lifelong customers and employees who saw her as a friend and
7mentor, not a boss; she employed generations of kids who worked
8their first jobs at "Val's halla" and became part of her
9family; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Val Camilletti was in charge of the music during
11the May Madness street fests on Oak Park Avenue during the
121990s and early 2000s; she emceed the Church of Beethoven
13concerts at Open Door Theatre, spearheaded the annual
14"hallaPalooza" sale and music fest, where many came in from
15around the country to visit and volunteer, and penned a regular
16entertainment column and blog for the "Wednesday Journal"; and
 
17    WHEREAS, In 2006, Val Camilletti moved "Val's halla" to 39
18Harrison Street in the Oak Park Arts District; she was an arts
19district champion and became a vital member and later vice
20president of the Oak Park Arts District Business Association;
21and
 
22    WHEREAS, Val Camilletti loved animals and was a huge

 

 

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1advocate for the Animal Care League for many years and emceed
2their annual auction; she loved golf and played at Columbus
3Park; she was also a morning regular at George's Restaurant in
4Oak Park; she was among the most recognized faces in Oak Park
5and was an institution and vibrant presence in the village for
6nearly 50 years; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Val Camilletti was preceded in death by her white
8German Shepherd, Halla; her yellow Lab mix, Loki; and her cat,
9Woden; her record store was, for many years, the daytime lounge
10for her Norse-named pals; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Val Camilletti is survived by her cat, Soot; and
12her many friends who miss her terribly and declare she will
13never be forgotten; therefore, be it
 
14    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL
15ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
16Valda A. "Val" Camilletti and extend our sincere condolences to
17her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it
18further
 
19    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20presented to the family of Val Camilletti as an expression of
21our deepest sympathy.