HR0828 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0828 LRB093 21498 KEF 49676 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives were saddened to learn of the death of Noel Berner Hoyt of Evanston on February 29, 2004; and

WHEREAS, Noel Berner Hoyt lived in Evanston since 1965; after graduation from Marymount College in New York, she worked as an ad writer for Carson Pirie Scott & Co. in Chicago; she then dedicated herself to raising her 6 children and her 26 year marriage to Tom Hoyt; and

WHEREAS, Noel was best loved for her adventurous and fun-loving nature; she turned her bedroom into a 15th century Italian villa by hiring a professional artist to paint all four walls, the doors, and the ceiling in the "trompe l'oeil" style; among her many adventures, Noel took her daughters hot-air ballooning in the Loire Valley of France and talked her way into the college-age work crew for a summer-long architectural dig at an Etruscan ruin in La Pieta, Italy; she performed as a supernumerary in a recent performance of the Chicago Opera, where her stage instructions included "Swoosh in. Swoosh out."; and

WHEREAS, Noel loved architecture and would brazenly talk her way into off-limits architectural gems, from the library at Trinity College in Dublin to Lincoln Park mansions undergoing renovations; and

WHEREAS, To facilitate her adventures she printed phony business cards for herself and friend, Jess Cunniff, stating that they were respectively the President and Chairman of the Urban Studies Institute; with their card and the statement "We are architectural historians", Noel and Jess breezed past security guards and workmen; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Noel Berner Hoyt will be deeply felt by many, especially her children, Joshua (Joanna Brown) Hoyt, Amy (Jim) Knowlton, Darcy Hoyt, Peter (Peggy) Hoyt, Phoebe (Guido) Volla, and Nathaniel Hoyt; her 10 grandchildren; her brother, Robert (Sheila) Berner; and her former husband and lifelong friend, Tom Hoyt; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the death of Noel Berner Hoyt along with all who knew and loved her and extend our sincere condolences to her family and friends; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Noel Berner Hoyt as a token of our deepest sympathy.