title
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE LIFE AND MEMORY OF LYNDA MARIE DELAFORGUE
WHEREAS, Lynda Marie DeLaforgue was born on February 18, 1958 to James DeLaforgue and June Kaczur-Tate; and
WHEREAS, Lynda was raised in Franklin Park, Illinois and was a Cook County resident and social justice activist who selflessly made extraordinary contributions to improve the community; and
WHEREAS, Lynda graduated from Rockford University in 1980, where she majored in theater and was active in local community productions as an actress and costume designer; and
WHEREAS, looking for part-time work, Lynda took a fundraising job for the Illinois Public Action Council (IPAC), an activist group that relied on door-to-door canvassers to recruit members and donations; and
WHEREAS, with hard work and a great charisma, she soon became IPAC’s Rockford office manager and helped organize a voter registration drive leading up to the 1984 election; and
WHEREAS, in 1985, Lynda married Hans Hintzen and settled in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, their daughter Katy DeLaforgue was born in 1987, and their son Jordan DeLaforgue was born in 1991; and
WHEREAS, Lynda became IPAC’s statewide canvass manager and helped set up canvass operations in other states; and
WHEREAS, in addition to her canvass manager duties, Lynda increased IPAC’s role around health policy and consumer protection; and
WHEREAS, Lynda was also involved in various progressive political campaigns, among them: Paul Simon to the U.S. Senate, re-elect Mayor Harold Washington, and Jan Schakowsky to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1990; and
WHEREAS, in 1997, after IPAC’s shut down, Lynda became the associate director of Citizen Action/Illinois where she brought her expertise and lead the finances and supervised staff; and
WHEREAS, Lynda was a regular presence at Chicago City Hall Council and Cook County Board meetings as an advocate on policies for the well-being of all residents; and
WHEREAS, while at Citizen Action/Illinois, she was involved in the progressive political campaigns of Barack Obama for Senator in 2004, JB Pritzker for Governor of Illinois, and Sean Casten for U.S. Congress; and
WHEREAS, Lynda’s work for progressive policies was demonstrated in her advocacy to regulate predatory payday loans, ensure food safety, oppose Social Security privatization, support equal marriage, and ensure the rights of consumers to affordable energy and health insurance; and
WHEREAS, Lynda Marie DeLaforgue passed away on January 12, 2019 at her home in Chicago, Illinois; and
WHEREAS, Lynda is survived by her daughter, son, mother, sister, life partner Brian Reizfeld, extended family and friends; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED, that the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners, on behalf of the residents of Cook County, hereby offer its deepest condolences and most heartfelt sympathy to the family of Lynda Marie DeLaforgue and honor the life and memory of this outstanding Cook County resident.
end