SR0547 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0547 LRB103 34734 MST 64582 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of John Alan Woodruff, who passed away on September 10, 2023; and

WHEREAS, John Woodruff was born in Carlinville to William Verness and Mary (Parker) Woodruff on February 1, 1939; he grew up in Carlinville, where he enjoyed the outdoors; he was a High School All-American in football, threw the discus and shot put, and participated in band and chorus activities; he played football for one year at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and graduated as a field biology major from Southern Illinois University at Alton in 1963; he married Judith Colleen VanPelt on November 9, 1963; and

WHEREAS, John Woodruff started his career as a textbook editor/writer for a high school publishing company; he later became a mainframe computer specialist and, after years of programming and system design, went into management and consulting; he worked in both the public and private sectors for over 40 years; and

WHEREAS, John Woodruff oversaw many of the early efforts to consolidate computers while working for the State of Illinois, including the establishment of the data processing department of the new Department of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse and development of several PC-based systems for the Illinois State Board of Education; in addition, he was an assistant professor in the business school at Sangamon State University (now UIS) and an adjunct professor at Lincoln Land Community College, specializing in system development and business management; and

WHEREAS, John Woodruff was actively involved in the Springfield theater scene; he was on stage at Springfield's Muni 15 times in 14 years; he played Amos Hart in Springfield's original production of Chicago and was known as Mr. Cellophane; after he and Judy built their dream log home in rural New Berlin in 1993, he concentrated more on Theater in the Park and venues in Jacksonville; ultimately, he got into directing local productions, including Carousel, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and others; he restaged the epic poem John Brown's Body for the modern theater and wrote and directed three successful plays, Civil War Journeys, Drummer Girl, and Baltimore Plot; he was a member of a local storytellers group, loved to write short, two-person plays, and was fascinated by history and family ancestry; and

WHEREAS, John Woodruff was an avid hunter and fisherman, a competitive bass fisherman, and a proud member of Ducks Unlimited, the NRA, and the Capitol City Men's Chorus; he enjoyed golfing and had great respect for the environment and the conservation of natural resources; and

WHEREAS, John Woodruff is survived by his wife, Judith; his son, Jim Woodruff; his daughter, Beth (Bob) Paton; and his grandchildren, Tim Paton, Andy (Lydia) Paton, Bailey Woodruff, Parker Woodruff, and Riley Woodruff; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of John Alan Woodruff and 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 John Woodruff as an expression of our deepest sympathy.