MEMORIAL RESOLUTION HONORING THE LIFE OF THE HONORABLE BURTON NATARUS
WHEREAS, The Honorable Burton "Burt" Natarus, former Alderman of the 42nd Ward, recently passed away at the age of 86; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of Alderman Natarus's passing by the Honorable Brendan Reilly, Alderman of the 42nd Ward, and the Honorable Lori E. Lightfoot, Mayor of the City of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Natarus was born and raised in Wausau, Wisconsin, and earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Wisconsin, before serving in the US Army and Army Reserves as a parachutist and continuing his education by studying government at Harvard University; and
WHEREAS, Upon moving to the Near North Side in 1960, Alderman Natarus taught classes in local government at Loyola University Chicago, before diving into public life in 1971; and
WHEREAS, A protege of legendary Cook County Board President George W. Dunne, Alderman Natarus won election in 1971 to serve his first term on the Chicago City Council as Alderman of the 42nd Ward, the first of his nine consecutive election wins for the position; and
WHEREAS, Always one to be in the mix, no issue was too big or too small for Alderman Natarus, the self-proclaimed "Janitor of the Ward" - from supporting Mayor Harold Washington during the "Council Wars" and playing a key role in selecting Alderman Eugene Sawyer to serve as acting mayor following Mayor Washington's death, to the various quality of life issues he fought for on behalf of his constituents, including addressing loud motorcycles and blaring car radios; and
WHEREAS, A champion of causes from open spaces and preservation to education, Alderman Natarus was the first politician in the country to sponsor a successful plan to make driving while talking on a cellphone illegal, and was well-known for his efforts to require carriage horses in Chicago to wear diapers; and
WHEREAS, Alderman Natarus was known as an expert in parliamentary...
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