RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Honorable John Nickels has been called to eternal life by the wisdom of God at the age of eighty-two; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of his passing by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, A resident of Maple Park, the Honorable John Nickels was a former Illinois Supreme Court Justice and the loving husband for fifty-six years of Merita; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable John Nickels was the much-adored father of eight, the grandfather of twenty-four and the great-grandfather of one; and
WHEREAS, The son of a Kane County dairy farmer, the Honorable John Nickels graduated from Northern Illinois University and DePaul University College of Law; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable John Nickels was a lawyer in Kane County for more than twenty years; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable John Nickels ably served as a Circuit Court Judge, Illinois Appellate Court Judge and as a Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court; and
WHEREAS, Despite his professional successes, the Honorable John Nickels always retained a down-to-earth manner and was a farmer at heart; and
WHEREAS, Upon his retirement in 1998, the Honorable John Nickels announced that he was "going back to the land that has always nourished my soul"; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable John Nickels was a supporter of the Rafiki Foundation which educates orphans and abandoned children in Tanzania and a benefactor of the Marmion Abbeys Mission School of San Jose in Guatemala; and
WHEREAS, The hard work, sacrifice and dedication of the Honorable John Nickels serve as an example to all; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable John Nickels will be dearly missed and fondly remembered by his many relatives, friends and admirers; and
WHEREAS, To his beloved family, the Honorable John Nickels imparts a legacy of faithfulness, service and dignity; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and the members of the Chicago City Council, assembled this twenty-fourth day of July, 2013, do hereby commemorate the Honorable John Nickels for his grace-filled life and do hereby express our condolences to his family; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of the Honofable John Nickels.