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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Lawrence
4"Larry" Matkaitis of Mt. Greenwood, who passed away on July 9,
52016; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Lawrence Matkaitis was a neighborhood guy; he was
7born in Mt. Greenwood on May 25, 1948, and there he married and
8raised his family; he often joked that the longest he was ever
9away from Mt. Greenwood was when he was in the service; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Lawrence Matkaitis attended grammar school at St.
11Christina Catholic Church; after graduation, he attended
12Brother Rice High School; one of his proudest accomplishments
13in his teen years was becoming a licensed pilot; he attended
14Northern Illinois University until he entered the United States
15Army, where he served as a medic during the Vietnam War and was
16honorably discharged; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Lawrence Matkaitis was very proud of his service
18to our country; he earned his paramedic license and worked as
19an emergency room technician before joining the Chicago Fire
20Department in its recently developed paramedic program, where
21he was stationed at Ambulance 42 at Engine 13's house at Lake
22and Dearborn; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Lawrence Matkaitis proudly served as the first
2Director of Emergency Medical Services for Chicago Fire
3Fighters Union Local #2; in the Chicago Fire Department, he
4rose to the rank of Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner,
5Emergency Medical Operations, and Executive Assistant to the
6Fire Commissioner before retiring after 30 years of service;
7and
 
8    WHEREAS, In October of 2010, Lawrence Matkaitis began his
9second career in Chicago for the Office of the Illinois State
10Fire Marshal; after five years with the Office, he was
11appointed by Governor Pat Quinn to be the State Fire Marshal;
12he served as an advocate for fire fighters, paramedics, and the
13citizens of Illinois; he retired in 2015; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Lawrence Matkaitis was a proud member of several
15professional organizations, including the Associated Fire
16Fighters of Illinois, the International Association of Fire
17Fighters, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the
18Fire Chiefs of Illinois, the Illinois Terrorism Task Force, the
19Advisory Committee of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, and the
20Executive Committee of the Illinois Emergency Medical Response
21Team; and
 
22    WHEREAS, During his career, Lawrence Matkaitis worked with

 

 

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1and was recognized by many professional organizations,
2including the United States Department of Homeland Security,
3the National Guard, the United States Secret Service, the
4Illinois Fire College, the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, and the
5Office of Emergency Management in Chicago; and
 
6    WHEREAS, In addition to his professional responsibilities,
7Lawrence Matkaitis was the beloved husband of 38 years of
8Valerie; the devoted father of Amber (Louis) Rivera and Daniel
9Matkaitis; the "Big Lar" to Aliyah, Liliana, and Anais; the
10cherished brother of Jerry (Ruth) Matkaitis, Jimmy Matkaitis,
11Nancy (Jim) Sorensen, and Kathy (Kurt) Uhlir; the respected
12uncle of many; he is also survived by many dear family members
13and friends; therefore, be it
 
14    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
15NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
16mourn the passing of Lawrence Matkaitis and extend our sincere
17condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved
18him; and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20presented to the family of Lawrence Matkaitis as a symbol of
21our sympathy for his passing and our deep appreciation for his
22service to the State of Illinois.