SR0420 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0420 LRB104 15268 ECR 28418 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Datikka Tennell "Tikka" Peebles of Edwards, who passed away on August 25, 2025; and

WHEREAS, Tikka Peebles was born to Thertha Holt and Dennis Thomas in St. Louis, Missouri on July 12, 1979; she committed to her faith at an early age and was baptized at Liberty Baptist Church; she attended Riverview Gardens High School in St. Louis; she earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Management Information Systems from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2005, and she was also a graduate of the Peoria Civic Leadership Academy; she married Jason Peebles on March 1, 2017, and they moved their family to Peoria later that year; and

WHEREAS, Tikka Peebles worked as a business analyst at Dell Computers until her passing; during her career, she was a part of the Graduating Aspiring Leadership Program and served as a co-lead for the Black Networking Alliance Community Service Pillar; she and her husband also founded a successful real estate investment business in 2018; and

WHEREAS, Tikka Peebles was a member of the Peoria County Joint Commission on Racial Justice and Equity Committee, where she worked to bridge the digital divide by providing free computer classes and vouchers; she also served as a deputy registrar for the Peoria Election Commission, an assistant secretary and Executive Committee member of the NAACP, a member of the League of Women Voters, and a supporter of Dream Center Peoria and It Takes a Village; and

WHEREAS, Tikka Peebles volunteered as a parent liaison with Unity Point In-School Health Advisory Board and Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA); she served on committees for the Dunlap Grade School Parents Club and the Dunlap Valley Middle School Parents Club; she mentored young girls through the Young Lives Mentoring Program and Sunflowers Mentoring Program, where she later served as board secretary; and

WHEREAS, Tikka Peebles was a member of the Peoria Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., serving on the Emergency Response Team and Program Planning & Development Committee, as a liaison to the National Pan-Hellenic Council, and as a co-chair for multiple fundraising efforts; she was also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Silver Star Chapter #74, chairing the Sunshine Committee and serving on the Education & Scholarship Committee and Community Service Committee; and

WHEREAS, Tikka Peebles was active at St. Paul Baptist Church, where she served as a greeter, a member of the event planning team for the Marriage and Women's Ministries, and as a lead planner for the Grown-ish Teen Summit; she also founded the church's Soulful Readers Book Club for Women of Color; and

WHEREAS, Tikka Peebles was a genuinely caring person who loved her family and was deeply committed to improving her community; she leaves behind a legacy of service and love that will continue to touch countless lives; and

WHEREAS, Tikka Peebles was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Rodney Earl Holt II; and

WHEREAS, Tikka Peebles is survived by her grandmother, Leona Edison; her husband of eight years, Jason; her son, Jeremiah Alexander "JP" Peebles; her aunts, Ozell Leflore and Brenda (Earl) Kerr; her uncles, Arthur Leflore and Charles Wright; her siblings, Dennis Echos and Milka Brooks; her niece and nephews, Jordyn Ward, Rodney Holt III, Shawn Wilson, and Bryson; and her cousins, Keva Williams, Michelle (Terris) Rainey, Marlon Nash, and Dural Williams; 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 Datikka Tennell "Tikka" Peebles 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 Tikka Peebles as an expression of our deepest sympathy.