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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE LIFE OF JAMES EARL HARLAN
WHEREAS, James Harlan was a resident of Maywood, Illinois, and;
WHEREAS, James was born in Meridian, Mississippi, on December 16 1946, and;
WHEREAS, James served his country for two years as a member of the United States Army, and he was injured in the Vietnam War as a specialist fourth class Military Policeman, and;
WHEREAS, James was a proud member of Jordan Temple Baptist Church in Hillside, Illinois, and;
WHEREAS, James retired from Sanford, Inc., and spent many years working at Proviso East High School, where he was nicknamed Old School, and;
WHEREAS, James became a strong advocate for supporting individuals with Autism after his son, Jason, was born, and;
WHEREAS, James Harlan discovered that the resources available to minority families caring for disabled children are severally limited, and he and his wife, Debra Vines, dedicated years of work to reverse that alarming trend, and;
WHEREAS, James Harlan observed other men have difficulty processing the fact their children have a disability and that inspired him to start the Just for Men group, and;
WHEREAS, James Harlan was the president of the Just for Men Group, an affiliate of The Answer Inc. which was founded by his wife Debra Vines, and;
WHEREAS, the work that James and Debra have done will benefit generations of young people, especially minorities, who have special needs, and;
WHEREAS, James Harlan battled lymphoma valiantly for three years, and;
WHEREAS, on May 13, 2018 James Harlan lost his battle with cancer and was called into Eternal rest.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners does hereby honor the life and legacy of Mr. James Earl Harlan.
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