SR0182 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0182 LRB094 12135 CSA 45492 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois learned with sadness of the death of Fred A. Hillbruner of Chicago on November 15, 2004; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Hillbruner was born January 18, 1946, in Chicago, to Fred Sr. and Jean Hillbruner; he graduated in 1964 from Hyde Park High School; while in high school, he played the flute in the school orchestra, was on the swim team, and took classes at the Art Institute of Chicago; he attended Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, receiving a bachelor's degree in Art in 1969; he received a master's degree in Library Science at Rosary College (now Dominican University) in 1978; and

WHEREAS, He married Barbara Giloth in 1977; they had two children, Christopher and Elizabeth; the family shared a love for international travel, food, and art; and

WHEREAS, In 1978, Mr. Hillbruner started work as the Art Librarian at the School of the Art Institute's John M. Flaxman Library, later becoming Head of Technical Services as well; he remained at the Art Institute for 26 years; and

WHEREAS, At the Flaxman Library, he was in charge of library systems, cataloguing, and acquisitions; he mentored many new librarians and helped to guide student workers into library or book-arts-related skills; during his time at the School, he led the library from a card catalogue to an online telnet catalogue and through three successive versions of web accessible online catalogues; his foresight led to the Flaxman Library's early membership in a number of state and national library consortia; he also pioneered the cataloguing of artists' books and was recognized internationally as a leader in this field; he became an active member of the Art Libraries Society of North America and its affiliate in the United Kingdom; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Hillbruner was a lifelong Chicagoan, an artist, a bookbinder, an expert cook, a lover of jazz and WBEZ puzzles, and an aficionado of Chicago history, architecture, and WPA era murals; he sought to promote freedom of speech and international peace through his support of the ACLU and the Adopt-a-Minefield campaign; and

WHEREAS, He had a unique, quirky perspective on the world; he was a highly visual person who loved the nuances of city life, had a gentle humor about human foibles and fallibilities, and understood the madness of the world; he was a wonderful person - sweet, mischievous, and always greeting friends, family, and strangers with openness and authentic caring; and

WHEREAS, He is survived by his wife, Barbara; his son and daughter, Christopher and Elizabeth; his mother; his brother; and several nieces and nephews; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we express our sorrow upon the passing of Fred A. Hillbruner and extend to his family, friends, and community our most heartfelt sympathy; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to his family as an expression of our deepest condolences.