HR1292 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1292 LRB097 23422 MST 72304 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Ruth Geyer Lerner, who passed away on October 16, 2012; and

WHEREAS, Ruth Lerner was born on December 8, 1923, in Vejprty, in what is now the Czech Republic; as a child, she and her family were forced into hiding after the rise of the Nazis in Europe during World War II; after the war, she immigrated to the United States, attended medical school, and met her future husband, Herbert Lerner; and

WHEREAS, Ruth Lerner and her husband worked as pediatricians at their clinic in Hyde Park for over 50 years, where they gained a sterling reputation as skilled and generous doctors who would provide free services for poorer patients; and

WHEREAS, Ruth Lerner was an active participant in the civil rights and peace movements during the 1960s and 1970s and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King in Cicero, Selma, Alabama, and Washington, D.C.; and

WHEREAS, Ruth Lerner was an accomplished artist and musician, playing guitar and singing at peace rallies; her guitar playing inspired her son to become a professional musician; and

WHEREAS, Ruth Lerner enjoyed nature, the arts, crafting homemade furniture and ornaments, and participating in numerous sports, including shot put, tennis, swimming, and racquetball; and

WHEREAS, Ruth Lerner is survived by her loving husband, Herbert; her sons, Claude and Peter; her daughter, Heidi; her grandchildren, Camille, Luke, Jasmine, and Matthew; her sister, Inge; and her many other family members and friends; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with her family and friends, the passing of Ruth Geyer Lerner; and be it further

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