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92_SR0129
LRB9208798RHrh
1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to
3 express their sincere condolences to the family and friends
4 of Melvin Eisenberg, who passed away on April 23, 2001; and
5 WHEREAS, Mr. Eisenberg was the founder and president of a
6 Gurnee medical manufacturing company, a central figure in
7 Chicago-area Jewish educational organizations, and a leader
8 in promoting tuition-free Jewish education in the Chicago
9 area; and
10 WHEREAS, Mr. Eisenberg was a native of Chicago who
11 graduated from Lane Tech High School in 1939; he went on to
12 study mechanical engineering at the Illinois Institute of
13 Technology for two years before his education was interrupted
14 by World War II; during the war, he taught gunnery to Army
15 Air Forces recruits in Florida; he finished his bachelor's
16 degree at the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1948; and
17 WHEREAS, Two years after finishing college, Mr. Eisenberg
18 started Plasco Inc, a firm that made raincoats and dish
19 covers before specializing in medical supplies in the late
20 1960s; and
21 WHEREAS, Mr. Eisenberg held more than 30 patents either
22 personally or jointly; the patents included a CPR mask with a
23 one-way valve to prevent cross-infection during
24 resuscitation, tamper-evident seals for medical bags, and
25 vacuum-activated splints for paramedics; and
26 WHEREAS, Melvin Eisenberg became involved with Jewish
27 education issues through his children's schools; after moving
28 to the Rogers Park area, he began volunteering within the
29 school system and eventually became an advocate for Jewish
30 education; he began to focus primarily on developing
31 scholarship programs, such as a fund at the Ida Crown Jewish
-2- LRB9208798RHrh
1 Academy and financial help at Bar Ilan University in Israel
2 so students could receive a Jewish education during their
3 high school and college years; and
4 WHEREAS, Melvin Eisenberg served as president of
5 Associated Talmud Torah from 1986 through 1990 and served on
6 the Jewish United Fund board during the 1990s; in addition he
7 served as past chairman of the board of governors at the Ida
8 Crown Jewish Academy and as director of Toward Tradition and
9 the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
10 Chicago; and
11 WHEREAS, The passing of Melvin Eisenberg will be deeply
12 felt by all who knew and loved him, especially his wife,
13 Marilyn; his children, David, Keren, Ronna, and Solomon; his
14 stepchildren, Elliot and David Allswang and Shari Feifel; his
15 brother Sheppard Eisenberg; his sisters, Charlene Blumenthal
16 and Bailee Mendelson; his ten grandchildren; and his ten
17 step-grandchildren; therefore, be it
18 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL
19 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
20 all who knew him, the death of Melvin Eisenberg of Chicago,
21 Illinois; and be it further
22 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
23 presented to the family of Melvin Eisenberg with our sincere
24 condolences.