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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of former
4Mayor John F. McNamara of Rockford, who passed away on
5September 30, 2020; and
 
6    WHEREAS, John McNamara was born to John I. and Marian
7McNamara on August 27, 1939; he graduated from Notre Dame in
81961 and received his law degree from the University of
9Michigan in 1964; he served in the U.S. Army from 1964 until
101966 during which he did a tour in Saigon as a captain in Army
11intelligence and earned a Bronze Star; he married his wife
12Barbara in 1965; and
 
13    WHEREAS, After his service, John McNamara and his wife
14moved to Rockford; there, he worked as a public defender before
15going into private practice, first as a partner in the firm of
16King & McNamara and later with O'Brien, Healy, Wade, Abate,
17McNamara, & Gorman; later in life, he worked at William Charles
18Investments and then served as the Vice President for
19Institutional Advancement at Rockford University, helping the
20institution through its own challenging financial times until
21retiring in 2016; and
 
22    WHEREAS, In 1974, John McNamara was appointed to fill the

 

 

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1vacant 3rd Ward alderman seat by then Rockford Mayor Robert
2McGaw; he was then elected to the position in 1975 and served
3until 1979; he then served two terms as Mayor of Rockford from
41981 until 1989, leading the city past a severe depression with
5relentless optimism and aggressive leadership; and
 
6    WHEREAS, John McNamara supported his son Tom as he sought
7elected office, first as he won election to the seat of 3rd
8Ward alderman and in his position as the current mayor of
9Rockford; and
 
10    WHEREAS, John McNamara was preceded in death by his loving
11parents; his sisters, Maureen Faulkner and Tess Syron; and his
12parents-in-law, Verl and Katherine Runkle; and
 
13    WHEREAS, John McNamara is survived by his beloved wife,
14Barbara; his children, John (Mary Maguire) McNamara, Kate
15(Terry) Bourbeau, Dan (Sarah Bursley) McNamara, Mary (Ben
16Bernsten) McNamara Bernsten, Nell (Cameron McLaughlin)
17McNamara, and Thomas (Sarah Reed) McNamara; and his 16
18grandchildren; therefore, be it
 
19    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
20HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
21we mourn the passing of former Mayor John F. McNamara and
22extend our sincerest condolences to his family, friends, and

 

 

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1all who knew and loved him; and be it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
3presented to the family of John McNamara as an expression of
4our deepest sympathies.