SR0111 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0111 LRB096 11847 GRL 22718 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Philip Jose Farmer of Peoria, who passed away on February 25, 2009; and

WHEREAS, Philip Jose Farmer was born on January 26, 1918 in North Terre Haute, Indiana; his family moved to Peoria from Indiana when he was four years old; and

WHEREAS, Philip Jose Farmer attended Columbia Grade School and Peoria High School; he earned his bachelor's degree from Bradley University in 1950; and

WHEREAS, Philip Jose Farmer was a world-renowned science fiction author; over more than five decades of writing, he wrote more than 75 books and countless short stories; he won science fiction's highest honor, the Hugo Award, for the novella "The Lovers" in 1953, the short story "Riders of the Purple Wage" in 1967, and the novel "To Your Scattered Bodies Go" in 1972; he was also nominated for five more Hugo Awards for his work; and

WHEREAS, Philip Jose Farmer was an advocate for Peoria's public libraries; he collaborated with several local writers on a round-robin mystery, titled "Naked Came the Farmer", which was published as a fundraiser for the Peoria Public Library; the project raised several thousand dollars for the library in the late 1990s; and

WHEREAS, Philip Jose Farmer was selected by the Science Fiction Writers of America as the recipient of its Grand Master Award in 2001; in 1994, he was inducted to Bradley University's Centurion Society; and

WHEREAS, Philip Jose Farmer married Bette Andre on May 10, 1941; he was the father of one son, Philip, and one daughter, Kristen Josephsohn; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Philip Jose Farmer; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Philip Jose Farmer as an expression of our sympathy.