SR1179 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1179 LRB101 20514 LAW 70116 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, the members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Elizabeth "Beth Ann" O'Reilly-Amandes who passed away on January 17, 2020, at the age of 64; and

WHEREAS, Beth Ann O'Reilly-Amandes was born in Chicago to Winifred and James O'Reilly on October 3, 1955; she was the seventh of fourteen children; she was raised in Crystal Lake; she attended St. Thomas Catholic School and Crystal Lake Community High School, where she sang in choirs and acted in plays; and

WHEREAS, Beth Ann O'Reilly-Amandes started dating her future husband Paul in 1974 while doing theater and leading music for St. Thomas Church, the Happening in Christianity, and later at the Newman Center of Northern Illinois University; while in married student housing, the couple forged lifelong friendships with several other young families; they were married at the Resurrection Center in Woodstock in 1980; they continued studying in DeKalb, where their first two children were born; and

WHEREAS, Beth Ann O'Reilly-Amandes and Paul moved their young family to Chicago; she served on the board of Call to Action and was the tour manager for their theater company; she also toured the country as an actor/singer in Call to Action Theatre's productions "Between The Times" and "PeaceWorks", often with Paul, his brother Tom, Beth Ann's brother Eugene, her sister Jamie, and her sister-in-law Tammy; she continued to perform with her family and friends in various Chicago companies throughout her life, including the Curious Theatre Branch, Bottom of Your Shoe Theatre Collective, and Open Door Repertory; and

WHEREAS, Beth Ann O'Reilly-Amandes moved to Oak Park with her family in 1989 and became very involved in the St. Giles Family Mass Community; for the next 30 years at St. Giles, she served on the Council of Pastors, was an active liturgy director, mentored children of the Mass Community, and was also a featured liturgical singer and soloist; she became the manager of Logos Bookstore in Oak Park from 2000 until they closed in 2006; she worked at Community Bank and trained in early childhood education; she was the beloved nanny for the Rosado and Holzer-Lopez families during the 2010s; and

WHEREAS, Beth Ann O'Reilly-Amandes was a devoted and favorite client at the Buzz Cafe and Oak Park Chiropractic; she enjoyed traveling frequently to visit family on the West Coast, in New York, and in London, where her daughter Sarah lives with her family; she took her final trip in December 2019 and spent a magical Christmas in York, England surrounded by her husband, children, and grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Beth Ann O'Reilly-Amandes is survived by her husband, Paul; her children, Michael and Sarah Amandes; her son-in-law, Charlie Hanover; her grandchildren, David and Kate Hanover; her siblings, Willem, Cecilie (Leonard Brooks), Chris (Katrina), Gloria, Beau, Dorothy (Billy Imm), Kate, Jamie, Ned (Kathleen), Henri (Don Peters), Eugene (Tammy), Bridget (John Wagner), and Bernadette (Don Haderlein); and her many extended family members; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Elizabeth "Beth Ann" O'Reilly-Amandes and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Elizabeth "Beth Ann" O'Reilly-Amandes as an expression of our deepest sympathy.