093_HR0208

                                     LRB093 11475 HSS 14565 r

 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, The members of the House of  Representatives  of
 3    the  State of Illinois were saddened to learn of the death of
 4    Mary Dorothy "Bambi Jackson" Smith on Sunday, March 23, 2003;
 5    and

 6        WHEREAS, Ms. Smith  was  born  on  December  5,  1934  in
 7    Chicago  to  Clifton  and Lillie Jackson; she met and married
 8    Kenneth Smith at her alma mater,  DuSable  High  School;  she
 9    also attended George Williams and Kennedy-King College, where
10    she received her Associate Degree in preschool education; and

11        WHEREAS, Ms. Smith first began performing on the stage at
12    the  world  famous "Club Delisa", where she adopted her stage
13    name, Bambi Jackson; she worked there as a regular under  the
14    strict  guidance  of  Sammy  Dyer; she joined Yolanda Johnson
15    Productions and traveled through Florida and  on  to  Nassau,
16    where  she  learned the calypso dance, voodoo chants, flaming
17    limbo, and other fire dances, which  she  became  famous  for
18    performing worldwide; and

19        WHEREAS, Throughout her stage career, Ms. Smith performed
20    for  and  with  the best of the best performers and musicians
21    including Nat King Cole, Harry Belafonte,  Paul  Anka,  Count
22    Basie,  Ray  Charles, B.B. King, Jerry "Iceman" Butler, Brook
23    Benton, Ben E. King, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Jackie  Wilson,  and
24    Richard  Pryor;  she  performed for President John F. Kennedy
25    and British Prime Minister Harold McMillan; and

26        WHEREAS, Ms. Smith  was  honored  by  author  Dempsey  J.
27    Travis   when   he   included   her  in  his  bestseller  "An
28    Autobiography of Black Jazz"; and

29        WHEREAS, Ms. Smith returned to Chicago and began  working
30    in  the  Chicago  Park  District;  she  was a volunteer dance
31    instructor for children and adults at  Washington  Park;  she
 
                            -2-      LRB093 11475 HSS 14565 r
 1    rose  through the system after implementing new programs such
 2    as the yoga and dance programs which were  extremely  popular
 3    with  park  patrons  of  all social backgrounds; she became a
 4    supervisor and was a leader by example,  providing  guidance,
 5    knowledge,  and  support  to the development of Park District
 6    employees; she made people believe in themselves  and  strive
 7    for the best in everything they did; and

 8        WHEREAS, The passing of Ms. Smith has been deeply felt by
 9    many, especially her daughter, Tanya Maria; her son, Kenneth,
10    Jr.;  her  sister,  Cordelia  James; her granddaughter, Nisha
11    Clark; her nieces, Bernadine,  Bernadette,  and  Sheila;  her
12    nephews,  Robert  and  Lewis;  her  great-nieces,  Alisha and
13    Francie;  and  her  great-nephews,  Vincent  and  David;   in
14    addition,  her  loss  has  been  felt  by Uncle Jacques, Aunt
15    LaVerne and Aunt LeVora (Lee), Darlene McGhee, Godson Ricardo
16    Barland, and a host of  other  family  members  and  friends;
17    therefore, be it

18        RESOLVED,   BY   THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE
19    NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS,  that
20    we  mourn  the  passing of Mary Dorothy "Bambi Jackson" Smith
21    and extend to her family and friends  our  deepest  sympathy;
22    and be it further

23        RESOLVED,  That  a  suitable  copy  of this resolution be
24    presented to the family of Mary Dorothy "Bambi Jackson" Smith
25    as an expression of our sincere condolences.