SR1056 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1056 LRB097 23753 MST 72869 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Andrew H. "Andy" Olesen of Rockford, who passed away on December 10, 2012; and

WHEREAS, Andrew Olesen was born on February 23, 1947, to Anker and Sena (Kuhlmann) Olesen; he married Patricia Beck on September 12, 1970, in Pierre, South Dakota; he was a Vietnam veteran and served in the U.S. Army as a helicopter pilot; and

WHEREAS, Andrew Olesen was a longtime member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church; he enjoyed playing golf, racquetball, and was an avid Green Bay Packer fan; and

WHEREAS, Andrew Olesen had been a pilot for the "REACT" team for Rockford Memorial Hospital for the past 5 years; it was during the discharge of his duties for REACT that he and flight nurses Jim Dillow and Karen Hollis perished when they encountered bad weather on route to pick up a critically ill patient; and

WHEREAS, Andrew Olesen was preceded in death by his parents, Anker and Sena Olesen and his sister, Barbara; and

WHEREAS, Andrew Olesen is survived by wife, Pat; his son, Tony (Julie) Olesen; his daughter, Michelle (Rufo) Reyes; his grandchildren, Jacob, Caitlin, and Addison Olesen; his sisters, Kathryn Nordstrom and Connie (David) Selleck; and his nieces, Cindy Filips and Sherry Nordstrom, and their families; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Andrew Olesen, and we extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

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