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1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened
3 to learn of the death of Michael "Mike" Perricone, of
4 Riverside who passed away on December 9, 2023 at the age of 72;
5 and
6 WHEREAS, Mike Perricone was born in Brooklyn, New York on
7 December 26, 1950; he attended Brooklyn Technical High School
8 and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he developed his
9 interest in science, engineering, and writing; and
10 WHEREAS, Mike Perricone spent his early career in
11 journalism in Troy and Albany, New York; he later moved to
12 Chicago, where he began covering the Chicago Blackhawks for
13 the Chicago Sun-Times in 1977; and
14 WHEREAS, Mike Perricone covered more than 1,200 National
15 Hockey League (NHL) games over 12 years; while traveling the
16 country with the Blackhawks, he developed close connections
17 with players and coaches, who appreciated his passion for the
18 team; and
19 WHEREAS, Mike Perricone was well-respected and appreciated
20 by his peers in journalism; he encouraged and supported new
21 reporters at the Chicago Sun-Times and developed friendships
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1 with fellow reporters from rival papers; and
2 WHEREAS, Mike Perricone met his wife, Joan Vanderbeck,
3 when responding to a personal ad in Chicago Magazine with a
4 list of his favorite books in 1986; they connected instantly
5 upon their first meeting for a date at the Music Box Theatre,
6 marrying just 14 months later; and
7 WHEREAS, Mike Perricone left his position covering
8 professional hockey to take care of his daughter, Jenny, in
9 1989; he turned his experiences as a stay-at-home father into
10 his column "Jenny's Dad" for the Chicago Sun-Times; he later
11 compiled these columns into his book titled "From Deadlines to
12 Diapers: Journal of an At-Home Father", for which he made an
13 appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show; and
14 WHEREAS, Mike Perricone returned to his career in writing,
15 and interest in science, as a member of the communications
16 staff at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia; he
17 worked at Fermilab for nearly 10 years as a senior writer and
18 science editor; and
19 WHEREAS, Mike Perricone helped launch Symmetry Magazine in
20 2004, serving as executive editor and sharing his favorite
21 books on particle physics and astrophysics; and
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1 WHEREAS, Mike Perricone loved sharing his knowledge of
2 science and physics with others; he authored "The Big Bang" to
3 connect an audience of young adults to the origins of the
4 universe; and
5 WHEREAS, Mike Perricone continued writing after his
6 retirement, working on a book for young adults, titled
7 "Caged", about a star high school hockey player struggling
8 with depression; and
9 WHEREAS, Mike Perricone is survived by his wife, Joan
10 Vanderbeck, and his daughter, Jenny Perricone; therefore, be
11 it
12 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
13 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
14 Michael "Mike" Perricone and extend our sincere condolences to
15 his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
16 further
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