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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Dr. Allison L. Burdick Jr., who passed
4away on November 6, 2018 at the age of 94; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Dr. Burdick was born to Dr. Allison L. Burdick Sr.
6and Adelaide Bartholf Burdick on June 7, 1924; he grew up in
7Galewood and graduated from Austin High School; he married his
8high school sweetheart, Beatrice "Bea" King, in June of 1946;
9he attended the University of Illinois Medical School; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Dr. Burdick served the United States Navy as a
11medical doctor at Great Lakes Naval Academy, as well as in San
12Diego and Albuquerque; he returned to the Chicago area and
13completed residencies at Hines VA Hospital in Maywood and West
14Suburban Hospital in Oak Park; in 1952, he joined his father in
15private practice on the West Side of Chicago; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Dr. Burdick had a vision of educating future
17family practice doctors and served as a professor in the
18Department of Family Practice at Rush University Medical
19School; he was a pioneer in family practice medicine and worked
20to save the family doctor profession while becoming one of the
21founding fathers of the family medicine movement in the United
22States, which carries an emphasis on the family unit,

 

 

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1preventative medicine, and patient education; he was a
2visionary leader who believed that the "people specialty," as
3family practice doctors were known, was essential to providing
4ongoing medical care to patients; and
 
5    WHEREAS, In 1971, Dr. Burdick established one of the
6country's first residency programs at West Suburban Hospital
7for in-depth training in family medicine; in a ceremony in
82009, with nearly 100 graduates from all over the country in
9attendance, the West Suburban Hospital Family Medicine
10Residency Program was officially named the A.L. Burdick Family
11Medicine Center to honor his legacy; to date, over 250 new
12physicians have graduated from this program; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Dr. Burdick was a diplomat of the American Board
14of Family Practice for years and served as its vice president
15for education; he held several offices with the Illinois
16Academy of Family Physicians and served as president from 1970
17until 1971; he also held numerous positions with the Illinois
18State Medical Society and was president of the Aux Plaines
19Branch of the Chicago Medical Society in 1968; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Dr. Burdick was known for his passion, leadership,
21and his ability to teach in a way that influenced his residents
22for the rest of their careers; former staff members in the
23Family Practice Department at West Suburban Hospital

 

 

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1considered it an honor and a privilege to work with him; he was
2a "fantastic role model, a compassionate physician, a
3delightful colleague, and an ardent educator"; many of his
4former students felt they owed him a tremendous debt of
5gratitude for helping to develop family practice residencies
6throughout Illinois; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Dr. Burdick and his wife, Bea, were members of
8various yacht clubs and tennis clubs over the years, and he
9once sailed his boat across Lake Michigan to his summer home on
10White Lake in Whitehall, Michigan; he was admired for his love
11of the "good things" in life, including music, books, tennis,
12the outdoors, boats, and the sun on his face; his happiest days
13were with family, especially holidays; his unconditional love,
14patience, wisdom, and gentle nature will live on in his
15children and grandchildren, of whom he was very proud; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Dr. Burdick was preceded in death by his wife of
1771 years, Bea; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Dr. Burdick is survived by his children, Stephanie
19Kennington, Susan (Bob) Merz, Bradley (Linda) Burdick, and
20Robert (Alison) Burdick; his grandchildren, Brandon, Alison,
21Scott, Kimberly, Marissa, Jenna, Mallory, and Collin; and his
22nine great-grandchildren; therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
2ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
3Dr. Allison L. Burdick Jr. and extend our condolences to his
4family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
5further
 
6    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
7presented to the family of Dr. Burdick as an expression of our
8deepest sympathy.