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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Margaret "Maggie" Daley, who passed away
4on November 24, 2011; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Margaret Ann Daley was born Margaret Corbett to
6Patrick and Elizabeth Corbett on July 21, 1943, in Mount
7Lebanon, Pennsylvania; she was their youngest child and only
8daughter; and
 
9    WHEREAS, She attended St. Francis Academy High School and
10the University of Dayton; a job with the Xerox Corporation led
11her to Chicago for what she promised would only be a short
12time; and
 
13    WHEREAS, She met Richard M. Daley at a Christmas party in
141970; they fell in love and were engaged by the following
15November; they were married at the St. Francis Retreat House in
16Pennsylvania on March 25, 1972, with her brother John as the
17celebrant of the mass; and
 
18    WHEREAS, The couple honeymooned in Europe; while in Rome
19they received congratulations and well wishes from Pope Paul
20VI; upon their return home they settled in Bridgeport, just
21blocks from Richard's boyhood home; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Daley welcomed their first child,
2Nora, in 1973 and their first son, Patrick, 2 years later; in
31978, their third child, Kevin was born with spina bifida, a
4disease with which he struggled until it took his young life in
51981; while she mourned the loss of her son, she felt that the
6experience helped her and her family to appreciate what is
7really important and enjoy each day; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The Daleys welcomed their youngest child,
9Elizabeth, in 1983; the family would enjoy the attractions
10Chicago had to offer, but they were just as likely to spend
11family time playing a board game; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Margaret Daley became increasingly active in the
13civic and cultural life of the city; she served on the
14auxiliary board of the Art Institute and the women's board of
15the Chicago Rehabilitation Institute; when her husband became
16mayor in 1989, Mrs. Daley's opportunities for involvement in
17civic projects increased; she soon became involved with the
18preservation of the Chicago Cultural Center; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Margaret Daley teamed with Lois Weisberg, then
20commissioner of cultural affairs, to launch Gallery 37, a
21program aimed at promoting arts training and jobs for Chicago
22youth; this project evolved into After Schools Matters, a

 

 

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1private program to provide teens with educational and
2career-oriented activities in such areas as sports and
3technology; she served as chair of its board of directors; and
 
4    WHEREAS, She was appointed by President Clinton to the
5President's Committee for the Arts and Humanities; she also
6served as a trustee for the University of Chicago Laboratory
7Schools, Saint Ignatius College Preparatory Academy, Mount
8Carmel High School, and the Francis Xavier Warde Schools; and
 
9    WHEREAS, She served as President of Pathways Awareness
10Foundation, an organization dedicated to raising awareness
11about the benefit of early detection and early therapy for
12children with physical movement differences; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Margaret Daley provided leadership in numerous
14other non-profit and civic organizations, including the Chapin
15Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago, the
16Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive
17Cancer Center at Northwestern University, the Children at the
18Crossroads Foundation, and the Golden Apple Foundation; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Margaret Daley bravely and heroically waged a 9
20year battle with cancer; even during her struggle she remained
21positive and was quick to downplay her struggles and call
22attention to the needs of others; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Margaret Daley will be remembered for the love she
2and Richard shared throughout their 39 year marriage, her
3dedication to her family, her unwavering sense of humor, and
4her tireless work to preserve and further the civic and
5cultural life of the City of Chicago as its longtime First
6Lady; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Margaret Daley is survived by her husband,
8Richard; her son, Patrick; her 2 daughters, Nora Daley Conroy
9(Sean) and Elizabeth "Lally" Daley Hotchkiss (Samuel); and 3
10grandchildren, Margaret, John, and Kevin; therefore, be it
 
11    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
12ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
13her family, friends and the City of Chicago, the passing of
14Margaret Daley; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
16presented to the family of Margaret Daley as a symbol of our
17sincere sympathy.