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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3to learn of the death of Virginia "Ginie" Cassin, who passed
4away on October 16, 2020 at the age of 96; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Ginie Cassin was born on April 13, 1924 in
6Beloit, Wisconsin; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Ginie Cassin's family moved to Oak Park when she
8was three years old; she graduated from Oak Park and River
9Forest High School in 1942; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Early in life, Ginie Cassin discovered a passion
11for civic engagement, including protest; in the 1960s, her
12fair housing policy activism was instrumental to the May 6,
131968 passage and implementation of Oak Park's landmark fair
14housing ordinance; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Ginie Cassin brought those learned experiences
16and accomplishments with her when she was elected as the first
17female village clerk of Oak Park in 1973; as a formal elected
18official, she played an indispensable role in creating the
19village's first liquor ordinance in March of 1973 and another
20ordinance that granted a franchise to Cablevision in April
211979; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Ginie Cassin's tenure as village clerk lasted
2until 1993; during those 20 years, she mentored subsequent
3village clerks Sandra Sokol, Teresa Powell, and Vicki Scaman,
4who is the current Oak Park village president; and
 
5    WHEREAS, In retirement, Ginie Cassin remained engaged with
6Oak Park politics; she regularly invited local female leaders
7to her home where they discussed current events over
8breakfast; she maintained memberships in numerous
9organizations, such as the League of Women Voters and the
10Rotary Club of Oak Park-River Forest; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Ginie Cassin's post-retirement years included a
12time as board chair for the Ernest Hemingway Foundation;
13through this, she cemented the author's legacy by establishing
14an Oak Park museum that bore his name; she even curated
15exhibition items for the Hemingway home museum; and
 
16    WHEREAS, On July 9, 2018, the Oak Park Village Board
17approved a resolution to honor Ginie Cassin and her
18contributions to the community; during the ceremony, Illinois
19State Senator Don Harmon, now the Illinois Senate President,
20also presented her with a proclamation stating that the
21Illinois General Assembly had recognized the week as "Virginia
22Cassin Week" in Oak Park; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, In her personal and professional lives, Ginie
2Cassin lived by her motto "I can do that" and was known for her
3friendly nature, bright smile, and ceaseless energy; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Ginie Cassin was preceded in death by her husband
5and high school sweetheart, Bill Cassin; and
 
6    WHEREAS, At the time of her death, Ginie Cassin was
7survived by her children, Michael (Barbara) Cassin, Patricia
8Cassin, Sharon Cassin Frame, Sheila (Rick) McLaughlin, Timothy
9(Marcia) Cassin, Sean Cassin, Brian (Donna) Cassin, and Kieran
10(Jeri) Cassin; her 18 grandchildren; and her 26
11great-grandchildren; therefore, be it
 
12    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL
13ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
14Virginia "Ginie" Cassin, and extend our sincere condolences to
15her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it
16further
 
17    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
18presented to the family of Virginia Cassin as an expression of
19our deepest sympathy.