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92_SR0465
LRB9217377BHbh
1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3 to learn of the death of Joanne Maxwell of Naperville, who
4 passed away June 20, 2002; and
5 WHEREAS, Mrs. Maxwell was a force in DuPage County
6 Republican politics who also helped direct a number of
7 candidates to the state and national stages, including U.S.
8 House of Representatives Speaker Dennis Hastert of Yorkville;
9 and
10 WHEREAS, Mrs. Maxwell provided a voice for the political
11 emergence of the far western suburbs as a journalist,
12 consultant, and public relations executive, delivering a
13 carefully crafted understanding of social and voting trends
14 with her trademark candor; and
15 WHEREAS, Mrs. Maxwell had a passion for politics and a
16 lot of political savvy; many politicians sought her advice,
17 which was always straight and to the point; and
18 WHEREAS, Mrs. Maxwell's interest in politics was
19 homegrown, and she encouraged her mother, Phoebe Dutcher, to
20 become active in Republican politics; in 1960, Mrs. Dutcher
21 became the first woman elected to a countywide office in
22 DuPage County, defeating an incumbent to win the office of
23 recorder of deeds; and
24 WHEREAS, Mrs. Maxwell graduated from Monmouth College in
25 1953 and began her career in journalism at the Glen Ellyn
26 News; in 1956, after serving as president of the DuPage
27 County News Service, she became editor and owner of the
28 Naperville Clarion; among the honors Mrs. Maxwell received
29 for her work, she became the first woman named "Editor of the
30 Year" by the Illinois Press Association; and
31 WHEREAS, In 1964, Mrs. Maxwell turned her focus directly
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1 to politics and served as the campaign manager for John N.
2 Erlenborn's election to Congress; serving as Erlenborn's
3 chief of staff and executive assistant, Mrs. Maxwell became a
4 key behind-the-scenes player whose work included assisting
5 the careers of now-retired federal Judge William J. Bauer and
6 now-retired U.S. Representative Harris Fawell; and
7 WHEREAS, In 1984, Mrs. Maxwell launched a full-time
8 public relations and consulting business called "Attention!
9 Inc.," using it as a platform over the next 16 years to play
10 a role in public policy and private business; and
11 WHEREAS, Mrs. Maxwell was also the founder and first
12 president of the Illinois Lincoln Excellence in Public
13 Service Series, a program that helps educate Republican women
14 about government and public policy as well as campaign
15 strategy for winning public office; and
16 WHEREAS, Mrs. Maxwell served on the Monmouth College
17 Board of Trustees, the Illinois Humanities Council and as the
18 ethics officer for Lisle Township; she was a member of
19 Illinois St. Andrews Society, Daughters of the American
20 Revolution, the Illinois Mennonite Historical Society, the
21 Glen Ellyn Stamp Club, Kappa Kappa Gamma Alumnae, the Calusa
22 Land Trust Museum of the Islands (Pine Island, Florida), and
23 the Pine Island Art League; and
24 WHEREAS, Joanne Maxwell will be deeply missed by all
25 those who knew her and loved her, especially her husband,
26 Donald; her daughters, Donna Jo Maxwell Ruscik and Barbara
27 Lee Maxwell Cherep; and her three grandchildren; therefore,
28 be it
29 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL
30 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
31 her family and friends, the death of Joanne Maxwell; and be
32 it further
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1 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2 presented to the family of Joanne Maxwell with our sincere
3 condolences.