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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to

3learn of the death of Mary Elizabeth (nee Kerwin) White of 
4River Forest,
who passed away on June 2, 2016; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, Mary White was born on April 3, 1923,  the eldest 
6of eight children, and grew up in
Elmhurst and Oak Park; she 
7attended the Convent of the Sacred
Heart boarding school in 
8Lake Forest and Rosary College; and
  
 
9    WHEREAS, Mary White married Gregory White,
a family 
10practice physician, and was the mother of 11 children;
with the 
11support of her husband, she decided to start breastfeeding
her 
12children during a time when most women were using formula
and 
13public breastfeeding was seen as taboo; and
  
 
14    WHEREAS, Mary White, along with six other mothers, held
a 
15breastfeeding support group meeting at
her Franklin Park home 
16in October of 1956, which led to the founding of the La Leche 
17League, an international organization
which promotes 
18breastfeeding for infant and maternal health; and
  
 
19    WHEREAS, While the international headquarters remains in

20Chicago, La Leche League's membership has grown from the nearly 
2120  women present at the first meeting
to millions of women in 
 
 
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1over 70 countries today; the founders co-authored "The Womanly 
2Art of Breastfeeding", a primer on breastfeeding, which has 
3sold two million copies and is in its eighth edition; and
  
 
4    WHEREAS, Mary White is survived by her daughters, Clare 
5Daly, Mary
Catherine Thornton, Anne White, Mary Regina Stirton, 
6Mary Dooley,
Maureen Smillie, and Elizabeth Dillon; her sons, 
7Joseph,
William, and Michael; her brothers, Michael, Joseph, 
8and Paul;
61 grandchildren and 110 great-grandchildren; a host 
9of nieces and nephews;
and surviving La Leche League founders 
10Marian Thompson and
Mary Ann Kerwin, Mary White's 
11sister-in-law; therefore, be it
  
 
12    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL 
13ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of 
14Mary White, and extend our sincere condolences to her family, 
15friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further
  
 
16    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
17presented
to the family of Mary White as an expression of our 
18deepest
sympathy.