SR1457 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1457 LRB100 21027 MST 36736 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of former Illinois State Representative Thomas B. "Tom" Berns, who passed away on February 19, 2018; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Berns was born to Henry E. and Phyllis R. (Berglin) Berns on April 8, 1945 and raised in Atlanta and Plano; he married Jeannie Galvin in Plano on August 28, 1965 and graduated from the University of Illinois in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in civil and environmental engineering; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Berns began working as an engineer at Danner and Associates, Inc.; in 1975, he co-founded Berns, Clancy and Associates; in 1979, the firm moved to its current location in Urbana and is regarded as one of the premier engineering firms in East Central Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Berns taught surveying for the University of Illinois as an adjunct instructor and around the State for the Engineering Extension Service; he also taught continuing education classes for the Illinois Professional Land Surveyor's Association, where he served as president in 1976; and

WHEREAS, In 2000, Rep. Berns was appointed to the Illinois House of Representatives; he was re-elected and served one full term; and

WHEREAS, Throughout his career, Rep. Berns received many awards, including the Young Engineer of the Year award in 1975 from the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers, the Distinguished Service Award from the Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association in 1990, the Chi Epsilon Civil Engineering Honor Society and Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society Awards from the University of Illinois, the Urbana Rotary Vocational Achievement Award in 2007, and the Outstanding Civil Engineer Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2009; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Berns was a longtime member of the Urbana Rotary Club and served as the club's president in 1987-1988; he served as president of the Urbana Country Club and was a team manager and president of the Prairie Little League for four years; he served on the boards of the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce; he was on the board of the Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation from 2005-2011, a member of the Champaign County Bell Tower Committee, and served on the boards of the Champaign County Forest Preserve District Foundation and the Urbana Park District Foundation; he was a member of the board of trustees of the Champaign Urbana Mass Transit district for 11 years and served as its chairman for one term; he was on the board of Clark Lindsey Village in Urbana for 38 years, 35 of those years as chairman; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Berns was a member of St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Congregation in Urbana for over 50 years; he was an avid fan of Illini sports fan and enjoyed, golf, tennis, fly fishing, and spending time with his family; and

WHEREAS, Rep. Berns is survived by his wife of 52 years, Jeannie; his daughter, Rebecca Berns; his son, Michael (Kelly) Berns; his grandchildren, Brenna, Braden, Breccan, and Briley; and his sister, Mary Ellen Smith; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of former Illinois State Representative Thomas B. "Tom" Berns, and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Rep. Berns as an expression of our deepest sympathy.