SR0510 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0510 LRB094 15032 AMC 50161 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois learned with regret of the death of John Cotton of Naperville on Tuesday, October 18, 2005; and

WHEREAS, John Cotton grew up in Joliet, the ninth of 10 children; He graduated from Lockport High School in 1976 and, after working a few years, attended DePaul University, where he earned his bachelor's degree in accounting; he worked for many years as an auditor and staff accountant at Continental Bank and Coopers & Lybrand in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, In 1980, John Cotton married Judy Schutter, the mother of his son, Joe; they divorced more than a decade later; he and his wife, Lisa Ann, were married in 2000; Lisa teaches at Naperville North High School; and

WHEREAS, John Cotton received his master's degree and his teaching certificate from Northern Illinois University; he began teaching business education at Naperville Central High School in August 1998; he taught consumer education, applied mathematics, keyboarding, and Web page design; he also coached the consumer education LifeSmarts team, guiding them to a State championship, and started Central's first bowling club; he was dedicated to his students and wanted to give back to his community; and

WHEREAS, John Cotton was active in the Naperville Community Unit School District 203 teachers' union, the Naperville Unit Education Association, where he most recently served as second vice president and grievance chair; he also was working towards a second master's degree from North Central College in Naperville; and

WHEREAS, A few years ago, John Cotton embraced his inner biker and began riding the open roads of western Illinois on his beloved 100th anniversary Harley-Davidson with his wife and friends; one of the last trips he took was to his childhood home in Joliet; and

WHEREAS, The passing of John Cotton has been deeply felt by many, especially his wife, Lisa; his son, Joe; his father, Loren; his brother, Larry; his sisters, Rita Erickson, Carol Surges, Nancy Sanders, Linda Cave, Melody Ongenae, and Kitty Storm; and his stepchildren, Justin, Angelica, and Charlie Biller; and many friends and students; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of John Cotton, and we 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 his family as an expression of our deepest sympathy.