HR0614LRB103 39577 ECR 69834 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of John C.
4Katz-Mariani, who passed away on February 10, 2024; and
 
5    WHEREAS, John Katz-Mariani was born to Carl Mariani and
6Doris Zimmerman on September 9, 1958; he was raised in Blue
7Bell, Pennsylvania, and he played on his high school soccer
8team; he attended West Virginia University before transferring
9to Northwestern University, where he studied literature and
10earned his bachelor's degree in liberal arts in 1983; he
11received his Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University
12of Pennsylvania in 1990; he married Paula Katz on September 2,
131990; he became a master gardener through the University of
14Illinois Extension, and he later earned a certificate in
15natural areas management from the College of Lake County in
162021; and
 
17    WHEREAS, After working several jobs as a teenager,
18including at the famous Blue Bell Inn, John Katz-Mariani began
19his writing career at World Book Encyclopedia in 1985,
20becoming an expert on sponges in the process; he transitioned
21to working as a teacher at a therapeutic day school in 1986 and
22then at a residential facility called the Carson Valley School
23in 1988; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, After earning his MSW, John Katz-Mariani began
2working for the Family Service Association of Bucks County in
31990; he then joined the Lake County Department of Health in
42002, serving as a social worker for individuals with severe
5mental illnesses; and
 
6    WHEREAS, John Katz-Mariani coached his son's youth
7baseball and basketball teams for many years; in order to
8support his children's love of theater, he worked backstage
9and became a stage manager with Big Deal Productions in
10Buffalo Grove, where he continued to work with children and
11serve the community long after his children had aged out of the
12program; and
 
13    WHEREAS, John Katz-Mariani attended the Congregation Or
14Shalom in Vernon Hills; he converted to Judaism in 1993,
15becoming a bar mitzvah in 1996; he founded the Or Shalom
16Mitzvah Garden in 2011, which provides free produce to local
17food pantries in Lake County; and
 
18    WHEREAS, John Katz-Mariani was known as a dedicated,
19involved, and thoughtful father; he will be remembered for his
20humble, community-oriented, and generous nature; and
 
21    WHEREAS, John Katz-Mariani is survived by his wife of 33

 

 

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1years, Paula; his daughter, Claire; his son, Al; his siblings,
2Jim, Carla, Tom, Dan, Ceci, Kathryn, and Peter; and his many
3nieces and nephews; therefore, be it
 
4    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
5HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
6we mourn the passing of John C. Katz-Mariani and extend our
7sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew
8and loved him; and be it further
 
9    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
10presented to the family of John Katz-Mariani as an expression
11of our deepest sympathy.