Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0665

HR0665 LRB104 20817 MST 34355 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of former Illinois State Representative Jack Lawrence Kubik, who passed away on February 4, 2026; and

WHEREAS, Born on May 20, 1955, Representative Kubik dedicated his life to Illinois, its people, and his family; and

WHEREAS, From a family with a longtime identity in West Cook community newspaper publishing, Representative Kubik attended DePaul University, earning a degree in business administration, with an eye to carrying on the family business; and

WHEREAS, When his neighbor, then-Representative Judy Barr Topinka, decided to vacate her seat in the Illinois House of Representatives in order to move to the Illinois Senate, young Representative Kubik saw his chance and successfully ran for the November 1984 House vacancy in their West Cook County district; and

WHEREAS, Upon his election at the age of 28, Representative Kubik was one of the youngest members of the Illinois House of Representatives, yet with an eye towards serving the people of his then-Greatest Generation-oriented district, he accepted an appointment to the House Committee on Aging; and

WHEREAS, Representative Kubik also specialized in issues involving property tax relief, judicial reform, and the rights of persons with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, As a keystone measure within his overall fight for property tax relief, Representative Kubik was the lead sponsor of a bill that for the first time created a workable process for Cook County residents to appeal their property tax assessments to the statewide Property Tax Appeal Board, and then to the Cook County circuit courts, thereby creating a legal process that endures to this day; and

WHEREAS, Winning many friends and allies among his colleagues, Representative Kubik was named several times as assistant leader of the House Republican Caucus, which included service in 1995-1996 (89th General Assembly) as House Assistant Majority Leader; and

WHEREAS, Representatives Kubik's years of service in the Illinois House were also marked with personal reward, as while he was a sitting representative he met and married his wife Agatha "Aggie" Kubik, who in 2017 tragically preceded him in death; and

WHEREAS, When he retired in January 1999, Representative Kubik had served for fourteen years in the Illinois House of Representatives; and

WHEREAS, Subsequent to his elected service, Representative Kubik served the Illinois General Assembly during the 94th and 95th General Assembly as the chief of staff of Representative Tom Cross, the House Minority Leader; and

WHEREAS, As a member of the "People's House", Representative Kubik never forgot the people of Illinois, including those both in and out of his Chicago-area west suburban district and home neighborhoods; and

WHEREAS, Representative Kubik left behind his beloved children, Lynn Vorreyer and Brian Kiefer, two sisters, Patti Willis and Donna Larson, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of former Illinois State Representative Jack Lawrence Kubik and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Representative Kubik's daughter, Lynn Vorreyer, and to his son and daughter-in-law, Brian and Nicole Kiefer.