HR0512LRB101 14164 MST 63032 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Joan
4Diane Alsberry; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry was born in Chicago to Irving and
6Amanda Steele on October 7, 1947; she attended Parkman
7Elementary School and was a member of Tabernacle Baptist Church
8in Chicago; she graduated from Jean Baptiste Point DuSable High
9School, where she was a member of the Girls Athletic
10Association and captain of the cheerleader squad; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry attended community college in
12Chicago and graduated from the University of Kansas School of
13Medicine with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy; she
14was a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry began working at Mercy Hospital in
16Chicago as a staff therapist and eventually became the
17assistant director and clinical coordinator for students; she
18also worked at Spaulding School and Tradewinds Rehabilitation
19in Gary, Indiana; she later became the first African American
20Director of Physical Therapy at Americana Healthcare Center in
21Oak Lawn; in 1982, she became the Director of Physical Medicine
22at South Chicago Hospital (Advocate Aurora Trinity); and
 

 

 

HR0512- 2 -LRB101 14164 MST 63032 r

1    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry married William Adams; after his
2passing, she married Vernard Alsberry Jr.; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry became a clinical instructor and
4adjunct professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and
5an instructor at the Chicago City Junior College for the
6Physical Therapy Assistance Program; she helped to organize the
7Support Organization for Minority Physical Therapists (SOMPT)
8and was a charter member of the American Academy of Physical
9Therapy (AAPT); and
 
10    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry co-founded a private practice,
11Superior Physical Therapy, eventually becoming the sole
12proprietor; as her business grew, she added other
13rehabilitation services and changed the name to Superior
14Therapeutic Services Inc.; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry became the program director for
16senior services at the Healthcare Consortium of Illinois; she
17then joined her husband and founded Kids Health Club.com, a
18fitness center for youth ages six to 16 years, which they
19operated for eight years; she also briefly worked as a home
20health physical therapist for Advocate South Suburban
21Hospital; and
 

 

 

HR0512- 3 -LRB101 14164 MST 63032 r

1    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry received numerous honors during
2her professional life; in 1997, the Southland Chamber of
3Commerce named her as its Small Business Person of the Year;
4the American Academy of Physical Therapy presented her with the
5Outstanding Leadership Award and the American Physical Therapy
6Association presented her with the Diversity 2000 Award; she
7also was named as a Fellow of the American Academy of Physical
8Therapy; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry was involved with numerous
10organizations, including the Village of Hazel Crest Planning
11and Zoning Commission, the Hazel Crest Senior Citizen
12Commission, the Bremen Township Regular Democratic
13Organization, the Chicago State University Occupational
14Therapy Program, the Illinois Council on Aging, the Illinois
15Interagency Council on Early Intervention, Age Options, the
16Illinois Physical Therapy Association, the American Academy of
17Physical Therapy, the Illinois Council of Case Coordinators
18Units, and the Governors State University Physical Therapy
19Program; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry was a member of Hillcrest Baptist
21Church in Country Club Hills; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry was preceded in death by her first
23husband, William; her parents; her siblings, Ronald and

 

 

HR0512- 4 -LRB101 14164 MST 63032 r

1Barbara; her stepmother, Ora McClinton; her stepfather,
2Rudolph White; and her stepbrother, Lamar; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Diane Alsberry is survived by her husband of over
421 years, Village of Hazel Crest Mayor Vernard Alsberry Jr.;
5her sons, Perry Curtis Jr., William Sean Adams, Vernard (Linah)
6Alsberry III, and John Cory Medlock; her daughters, Cindy
7Denise Vinson, Catherine Curtis, Tiffany Diane Curtis, Vernica
8(Tyrone) Alsberry-Griffin, and Moneecia (O'Shane)
9Alsberry-Wilmoth; her brothers, Irving "Willie" (Peaches)
10Steele Jr., Rudolph (Gregory Colombe) White, and Keith
11McClinton; her sisters, Doretta (Jimmy) Smith and Venessa
12(Tommy) Bodey; her nieces, Debra Brown and Metrneaa Gibson; her
13nephews, Anthony and Jonathan Steele; her cousins, Roslyn,
14Rosesharon, and Cleophus (Red) Clarke and Preston (Dojie)
15Barksdale; her brothers-in-law and sisters-in law, Charles
16(Lyndette) Alsberry, Keith (Mary), Kyle (Rosa), Melvin (Sonya)
17Alsberry, and Lorraine McCoy; 15 grandchildren; her A-Team
18family; and a host of extended family, close longtime friends,
19and professional colleagues; therefore, be it
 
20    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
21HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
22we mourn the passing of Joan Diane Alsberry and extend our
23sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew
24and loved her; and be it further
 

 

 

HR0512- 5 -LRB101 14164 MST 63032 r

1    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2presented to the family of Diane Alsberry as an expression of
3our deepest sympathy.