SR0131 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0131 LRB099 10599 GRL 30828 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Sister Mary Lou Larkin, who passed away on August 29, 2014; and

WHEREAS, Sr. Mary Lou Larkin was born on September 18, 1929 in Omaha, Nebraska; and

WHEREAS, Sr. Mary Lou Larkin had a long-standing connection to St. Edmund Parish and the entire Oak Park community; for 11 years during the 1970s and 1980s, she taught school at St. Edmund School; she was fondly remembered by her former students and their parents as a kind and gentle disciplinarian who was adept at getting her point across to all, in a stern but loving manner; and

WHEREAS, Sr. Mary Lou Larkin had many varied assignments during her religious career, including a principalship at St. Bernard School in Los Angeles, California; she also served at St. Dorothy Catholic School on the South Side of Chicago, where she listened in person to many black leaders as they met and spoke there on many occasions; years later, her students from St. Dorothy invited her back to honor her strong faith and loving and professional guidance; and

WHEREAS, Prior to moving to Mt. Carmel in Dubuque, Iowa in 2011, Sr. Mary Lou Larkin resided at Oak Park's Mills Park Tower for 11 years; she not only developed lasting friendships at the tower but also became the unofficial "chaplain" for the residents; and

WHEREAS, Sr. Mary Lou Larkin was an active proponent of the goals of the fledgling Oak Park Human Relations Committee during the 1970s; she was an accomplished downhill skier and continued honing her skills well into her 70s; and

WHEREAS, Sr. Mary Lou Larkin is survived by her brother, Mark Larkin, and his family, as well as many relatives in Phoenix, Arizona and Omaha, Nebraska; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with her family and friends, mourn the passing of Sister Mary Lou Larkin; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Sr. Mary Lou Larkin as an expression of our sympathy.