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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of James Eitrheim of Pequot Lakes,
4Minnesota, formerly of Oak Park, who passed away on April 16,
52011; and
 
6    WHEREAS, He was born February 21, 1933 on a farm in Baltic,
7South Dakota; he graduated from Augustana College in 1958 after
8taking two years out for service in the United States Navy,
9where he served aboard the destroyer USS Rowe; and
 
10    WHEREAS, On August 17, 1958 he married his college
11sweetheart, Diane C. Johnson; and
 
12    WHEREAS, He received his Masters of Arts degree in 1959
13from the University of Illinois at Urbana and that same year
14began a 31-year teaching career at Oak Park and River Forest
15High School; and
 
16    WHEREAS, While teaching theater, he inspired such movie and
17TV stars as Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Dan Castelleneta, Tom
18Lennon and Kathy Griffin; he is credited with mentoring
19hundreds of students and developing their passion for the arts;
20he was also the force behind building the school's auditorium
21and the Little Theatre; he also helped construct the buildings,

 

 

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1drawing on his experience in carpentry; and
 
2    WHEREAS, He planned, cast, and supervised hundreds of
3theater productions and directed more than 50 plays; he taught
4stagecraft in addition to drama and served as theater
5department chairman; the high school's top drama award, the
6James Eitrheim Award for Excellence in the Dramatic Arts, is
7named for him; and
 
8    WHEREAS, After retiring in 1990, he accepted a faculty
9position teaching theater at The University of Sioux Falls in
10South Dakota; he retired again in 1998; in 2000, he and his
11wife moved to Pequot Lakes, Minnesota; and
 
12    WHEREAS, He served for over 5 years on the Joseph Jefferson
13Award Committee in Chicago; in 1990, he was honored by Oak Park
14and River Forest High School with their Outstanding Alumni
15Achievement and Service Award; he was an active member of the
16Lutheran faith, serving on various committees and choirs and
17was currently a member of Lutheran Church of the Cross in
18Nisswa, Minnesota; and
 
19    WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his parents, Dan and
20Selma Eitrheim; his brother, Donald; and his niece, Susan
21Lankford; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, James Eitrheim is survived by his wife, Diane; his
2son, Kristofer (Eileen); his daughter, Karin (Steve) Maas; his
3son, Erik (Dawn); his brother, Norm (Clarice); his sister,
4Esther (Bill) Boadwine; his sister-in-law, Joan Eitrheim; he
5rejoiced in the lives of his 5 grandchildren, Greta, Ingrid,
6Alec, Erik, and Ava; and his 9 nieces and nephews; therefore,
7be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
9ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
10his family, friends, and community, the passing of James
11Eitrheim; and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
13presented to the family of James Eitrheim as a symbol of our
14sincere sympathy.