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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of Lawrence J. "Larry" Biondi, who passed
4away on June 28, 2021; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Larry Biondi was born on February 17, 1963; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Larry Biondi worked as the advocacy manager of
7the Progress Center for Independent Living for 28 years, where
8he led the center's community organizers and organized and
9implemented strategies to improve housing, transportation,
10public access, and health care for the disability community;
11he was well known for his legislative training course, which
12he and his team offered twice a year, held once a week over the
13course of ten weeks, and culminated in a trip to Springfield,
14where students met with State politicians and their staffs and
15applied the skills they learned during the course; he was the
16center's longest serving employee; and
 
17    WHEREAS, As a person with a disability, Larry Biondi hired
18and managed his own personal assistants, who gave him the
19ability to focus on his job; he knew the essential link between
20accommodations, independence, and inclusion for people with
21disabilities; without personal assistants, he would not have
22been able to live on his own and, understanding that link, he

 

 

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1never stopped fighting to strengthen and build systems of
2community services so that all people with disabilities had
3the opportunity to access services and live independently; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Larry Biondi also dedicated his time to Chicago
5ADAPT, a grass roots disability advocacy organization, and
6National ADAPT; he attended hundreds of local and national
7ADAPT demonstrations; he also participated in civil
8disobedience when local, regional, and national entities
9failed to recognize the needs and rights of people with
10disabilities; and
 
11    WHEREAS, At the front end of the COVID-19 pandemic, Larry
12Biondi actively engaged in and remained committed to two new
13coalitions throughout the pandemic; as a member of the PPE for
14People with Disabilities Coalition, he joined the effort to
15ensure that people with disabilities in Chicagoland and their
16personal assistants had access to personal protective
17equipment; with the Institutional Rescue and Recovery
18Coalition, he also advocated for residents of long-term
19facilities, who suffered an alarming mortality rate during the
20Covid-19 crisis; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Larry Biondi was a proud advocate for social
22justice, especially for those persons with disabilities, and
23he tirelessly fought for disability rights for 28 years; he

 

 

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1rarely turned down an opportunity to speak to a group of
2students, join a coalition, or attend a meeting, so long as he
3had a chance to raise awareness about disability, learn more
4about issues, and empower other people with disabilities; his
5leadership and legacy will be remembered by his colleagues at
6the Progress Center for Independent Living and ADAPT; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Larry Biondi was the son of the late Beatrice
8(Zimmerman) and Roy Biondi; the nephew of Anna Marie Pierotti
9and Fr. Lawrence Biondi, S.J.; the cousin of Anita Kidd, Maria
10Pierotti, and Peter Pierotti; and the cousin of Atina, Peter,
11Nicholas, Matteo, Giana, Luca, and many other Zimmerman
12cousins; therefore, be it
 
13    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL
14ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
15Lawrence J. "Larry" Biondi and extend our sincere condolences
16to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be
17it further
 
18    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
19presented to the family of Larry Biondi as an expression of our
20deepest sympathy.