92_HR1176
LRB9218459KFkf
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives were saddened to learn of the death of State
4 Representative Doug Hoeft of Elgin on December 17, 2002; and
5 WHEREAS, Representative Hoeft was born in Rochester,
6 Minnesota on May 26, 1942 and lived in Elgin for the past 37
7 years; and
8 WHEREAS, He received his Bachelor of Science from Denison
9 University, attended Northwestern University, and received
10 his Doctor of Education from Northern Illinois University; he
11 taught school for one year at Flower High School in Chicago
12 before taking a job teaching social studies at Elgin High
13 School in 1965; he taught at the school for 10 years before
14 going to work in the Kane County regional office of
15 education; in 1987, he was named regional superintendent of
16 schools; he was also a teacher for six years before becoming
17 a legislator; and
18 WHEREAS, In December 1991, he announced his candidacy for
19 the 66th District House seat vacated by former State
20 Representative James Kirkland; he quickly gained a reputation
21 for his knowledge of education issues, and was known as "Mr.
22 Education" in the halls of the General Assembly; he had
23 served in the Illinois House since 1993; he was known as one
24 of the legislature's strongest voices and most vocal
25 advocates for education issues; and
26 WHEREAS, He served on a number of legislative committees,
27 including those dealing with education, election reform, and
28 prisons; he served in numerous civic and community
29 activities, including: Vice-President, Elgin Well Child
30 Clinic; Secretary, Elgin Family Service Association;
31 Chairperson, Elgin Community College Human Services Committee
32 and Elgin Adult Education Planning Council; Kane County DUI
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1 Task Force; Elgin Area Private Industry Council; Criminal
2 Justice Commission; Citizen Advisory Council for the
3 Department of Children and Family Services; and Governor
4 Edgar's Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Task Force; and
5 WHEREAS, His committee assignments included Elementary
6 and Secondary Education, Environment and Energy, and
7 Insurance, and he was a spokesman for Personnel and Pensions;
8 he was a member of the Pension Laws Committee (PLC) and the
9 legislature that increased the retirement benefits of State
10 employees and downstate and Chicago teachers; he was chairman
11 of the Unification Subcommittee and was a member of the
12 Policy Subcommittee that formulated the PLC's formal pension
13 policy; he was an advocate for charter schools and reforming
14 the Illinois State Board of Education; he also supported
15 waivers from some State mandates to promote innovation and
16 coordinated a task force to improve gifted education; and
17 WHEREAS, He was praised for his commitment to both State
18 schools and the Elgin area; in November, he was re-elected to
19 a sixth term that would have begun in January; his hard work
20 and sense of humor will long be remembered; he always
21 entertained everyone with his "joke of the day"; and
22 WHEREAS, His passing will be deeply felt by his friends
23 and family, especially his wife, Libby; his son, Brian; his
24 daughter, Amy Saylor; his father, William; his two brothers,
25 William and Bruce; and his sister, Nancy Eales; therefore, be
26 it
27 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
28 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
29 we mourn the death of State Representative Doug Hoeft along
30 with all who knew and loved him, and extend our sincere
31 condolences to his family and friends; and be it further
32 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
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1 presented to the family of State Representative Doug Hoeft.