WHEREAS, Jospeh Perault Harmon, is survived by his wife Denise as well as their daughter Kelley, her husband Alan and granddaughter Sophie, who live in London, has gone on to his eternal reward; and
WHEREAS, ihe Chicago City Council has been informed of his passing by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, Joe was born in Fitchburg, MA and retaining his accent despite almost fifty years in Chicago, Joe fell in love with Chicago and its high-rise architecture, living in the Hancock Building as soon as it was built and at one time owning a penthouse on the gold coast; and
WHEREAS, a lifelong educator, Joe became Superintendent of Schools, Managing Director of McCormick Place and enthusiastic cheerleader for Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Joe was an outstanding athlete and high school hall of famer, winning state and New England titles and gold medal at the national interscholastic indoor championship at Madison Square Garden; and
WHEREAS, after high school he joined the United States Marine Corps, becoming a swimming instructor at Parris Island; and
WHEREAS, Joe went on to Fitchburg State University after finishing his service in the Marine Corps earning a BSc and a Masters from Stanford and a PhD in Educational Planning from the University of Northern Colorado; and
WHEREAS, Jim and his wife moved to Chicago in 1970 to become Assistant Superintendent of Schools and subsequently Superintendent of Schools reporting to Mayor Richard J. Daley, setting up Magnet schools, one of them being Whitney M. Young; among the first students were his daughter and one Michelle Robinson, later to become First Lady, Michelle Obama; and
WHEREAS, while most of his career was spent in public service, he worked in the private sector running human resources for the Chicago Stock Exchange and setting up the coiporate university for Everen Securities; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Mayor and the members of the Chicago City Council assembled this Eighteenth day of September 2019, do hereby express our sorrow and extend deepest condolences to the family of Joseph Perault Hannon on his passing, August 9th, 2019.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Joseph Perault Hannon's family in remembrance.