SR0107 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0107 LRB104 12069 ECR 22166 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Midge Kimberly, who passed away on October 20, 2024; and

WHEREAS, Midge Kimberly was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi on March 30, 1941; she and her family moved to Chicago's South Side in 1945, and she attended the Corpus Christi School in Bronzeville and later graduated from DuSable High School; she received a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and Psychology from Chicago State University and a Master of Business Administration from DePaul University; and

WHEREAS, Midge Kimberly began her career working in social services, obtaining corporate sponsorships for the City Colleges of Chicago; she became one of the first members of the National Association of Black Journalists-Chicago Chapter in the 1970s, through which she mentored hundreds of journalists and public relations professionals, helping to cultivate the next generation of media leaders; and

WHEREAS, Midge Kimberly became president and CEO of the Kimberly Group, where she emerged as an influential leader in the Chicago business community; during her career, she collaborated with a host of celebrities and media professionals, including Muhammad Ali at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia; she also launched Champagne & Beyond, an online magazine celebrating the accomplishments of extraordinary women, in 2014; and

WHEREAS, Midge Kimberly was a woman of strong faith who always offered a warm smile and kind words to anyone she met; she devoted her life to empowering others and will be remembered as a mentor, a trailblazer, and a friend to many; and

WHEREAS, Midge Kimberly was the mother of Richard Carl Davenport, Sherry Davenport Henry, Robert Davenport, Troy Davenport, and Vernon Nelson; the grandmother of eight; and the great-grandmother of several; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Midge Kimberly and extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved her; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Midge Kimberly as an expression of our deepest sympathy.