RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Gene Niezgoda, a legendary administrator and advisor to judges in the Cook County Court system, celebrated the joyful occasion of his 90th Birthday on October 4, 2014; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of this event by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, Gene Niezgoda was raised in Chicago where his parents owned and operated a mom-and pop business, "Mary and Walter's Grocery Store", at 1515 West 18th Place; and
WHEREAS, Gene Niezgoda attended Washburne Trade School and worked in a series of jobs before coming to the court system; and
WHEREAS, In addition to helping out at his parents' store, Gene Niezgoda worked at a clothing store, assembled frames at a manufacturing plant, loaded trucks, and was a photographer at the Lincoln Park Zoo; and
WHEREAS, Gene Niezgoda began his career in the court system during the 1950s and his first boss was the Honorable Edward S. Scheffler, the Chief Justice of the Municipal Court of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Over his long and illustrious tenure, Gene Niezgoda has interacted with almost every judge who has sat in the First Municipal District of Cook County; and
WHEREAS, At the age of ninety, Gene Niezgoda still reports to work where he serves as Court Administrator to the Presiding Judge, assisting with judicial assignments, rotations, transfers and administrative matters; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable Timothy Evans, the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, has extended good wishes to Gene Niezgoda calling him a "model court employee" and "our oldest employee" whose . "institutional memory is priceless, going back to before the Daley Center was the Civic Center and before the Civic Center itself was built"; and
WHEREAS, During his long and colorful career, Gene Niezgoda has enjoyed the confidence of generations of judges who have turned to him for guidance and direction which he dispenses with wisdom and levity; and
WHEREAS, Judges often congregate in Gene Niezgoda's office to talk about life and confide in him and always leave with a smile; and
WHEREAS, At home in the Little Italy neighborhood, Gene Niezgoda loves to stroll up and down Taylor Street where he dines and exchanges greetings with his many friends and neighbors; and
WHEREAS, Above all else, Gene Niezgoda has enjoyed more than 55 years of love and devotion with his wife, Anita, nee Demski; and
WHEREAS, Gene Niezgoda is a true Chicago treasure who throughout his life has personified the word "mentor"; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and the members of the Chicago City Council, assembled this eighth day of October, 2014, do hereby warmly congratulate Gene Niezgoda on the occasion of his 90th Birthday and do hereby declare that October 10, 2014, shall be officially recognized as Gene Niezgoda Day throughout the City of Chicago; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Gene Niezgoda.