MEMORIAL RESOLUTION FOR BOARD MEETING OF APRIL 4, 2019
Title
MEMORIAL RESOLUTION sponsored by the Board of Commissioners extending sympathy and condolences to the family of beloved District employee Helen Shields-Wright
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WHEREAS, Helen Ruth Shields was born on August 3, 1954 in Mound Bayou, Mississippi to Julius and Ethel Shields. She was the eldest of three girls; and
WHEREAS, Helen was raised on the West Side of Chicago where she attended Sol R. Crown Elementary School, Hess Middle School, and Amundsen High School. Due to her numerous academic achievements, Helen received multiple scholarships to attend Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. Upon graduation in 1976, Helen returned to Chicago and attended DePaul University School of Law; and
WHEREAS, while working as a ticket agent for the Chicago Transit Authority, Helen met her future husband Darnell. Helen and Darnell married on November 6, 1981 and had two beautiful children Jonathan and Siobhan; and
WHEREAS, on November 5, 1989, Helen joined Union Hill Missionary Baptist Church where she was a devout member. She was passionate about volunteering her time within the church and she shared her enthusiasm for education by participating as a tutor in an after school program; and
WHEREAS, Helen began working for the District on August 6, 1990 as a Senior Assistant Attorney. Due to her strong advocacy ability, her meticulous attention to detail, and her obvious ability to be a leader, Helen rose to the rank of Head Assistant Attorney of the Contracts and Finance Division and served as the District’s FOIA officer; and
WHEREAS, Helen was considered a social butterfly in that she loved to attend countless social, political, and cultural events. She was a faithful attendee of both the District’s African American History Program and the NAACP Black History luncheon; and
WHEREAS, as busy as work kept her, Helen was always ready to listen, share a funny story, give advice (sometimes unsolicited), share celebrity gossip, engage in a political debate, and (best of all) embrace you with a hug; and
WHEREAS, Helen passed from this life on March 17, 2019 surrounded by her family; and
WHEREAS, Helen leaves to cherish her loving memory her parents Julius Shields and Ethel James; her husband Darnell, her children Jonathan (Chastidee) and Siobhan, her siblings, and a multitude of other family members, friends, and co-workers; and
WHEREAS, Helen served the District as a committed, faithful, and loyal employee for almost 29 years; and
WHEREAS, Helen Shields-Wright devoted her life to serving others, through her employment as an attorney for the District, her service through her church, and her constant volunteering. Helen served as a beacon of light in the world, and the world will surely not be the same without her; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, on behalf of ourselves and staff, extend our sympathy and condolences to the family of Helen Shields-Wright; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution be spread upon the permanent Record of Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and that a copy of same, suitably engrossed, be presented to the family of Helen Shields-Wright.
Dated: April 4, 2019