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1		HOUSE RESOLUTION
2		WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3		Representatives are saddened to learn of the untimely death of
4		Andrew Patner on February 3, 2015; and
5		WHEREAS, Andrew Patner was born on December 17, 1959, the
6		son of Irene and Marshall Patner; he grew up in Chicago's Hyde
7		Park neighborhood and attended William H. Ray Elementary School
8		and Kenwood High School; and
9		WHEREAS, After working as a staff assistant to Congressman
10		Ralph H. Metcalfe in Washington, D.C., Andrew attended the
11		University of Chicago, where he studied liberal arts and
12		history and was editor-in-chief of The Chicago Maroon; he
13		received his bachelor's degree in history from the University
14		of Wisconsin-Madison, thesis of distinction, in 1985; and
15		WHEREAS, Andrew's amazing ability to communicate
16		compelling stories, both verbally and in the written word,
17		allowed him to share his talents with Chicago and the rest of
18		the world; a published author, classical music writer,
19		freelance writer, former reporter for The Wall Street Journal,
20		former staff writer and editor at Chicago Magazine, and critic,
21		host, and producer for Chicago's National Public Radio
22		affiliate, WBEZ; he brought current events and the arts to life

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1		for his scores of readers and listeners; his significant
2		talents were recognized with a 1984 Peter Lisagor Award for his
3		coverage of race and politics leading up to Harold Washington's
4		election as mayor of Chicago and the 2000 James Friend Memorial
5		Award from The Friends of Literature for his criticism of the
6		arts; and
7		WHEREAS, Andrew's love of the arts, especially the arts in
8		Chicago, was unparalleled; he immersed himself in modern and
9		contemporary art, European painting and sculpture, world
10		cultures, photography, art history, and architecture; his
11		multifarious interests and expansive breadth of knowledge
12		allowed him to be as comfortable discussing local politics and
13		Chicago history as he was critiquing the latest musical
14		performance at the Lyric Opera of Chicago; and
15		WHEREAS, Andrew was critic-at-large for WFMT Fine Arts
16		Radio Chicago, where he hosted the weekly conversation program
17		Critical Thinking; his Critic's Choice commentaries were heard
18		3 times each week; and
19		WHEREAS, As a contributing critic to the Chicago Sun-Times,
20		Andrew covered classical music and opera, theater and dance,
21		art and architecture, cabaret, books, and film; he appeared as
22		a commentator on cultural and political matters for WTTW 11
23		television; and

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1		WHEREAS, Andrew was a pre-concert speaker and interviewer
2		at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and accompanied the orchestra
3		on numerous tours to Europe, the East Coast, Japan, and South
4		America; he was a mainstay at all of Chicago's major cultural
5		institutions, including the Lyric Opera, Steppenwolf Theater,
6		the Art Institute, the Field Museum, Chicago Opera Theater, and
7		the Chicago Humanities Festival; he lectured on modern and
8		contemporary music at the Risor Chamber Music Festival in
9		Risor, Norway; he taught students from around the world for the
10		Soros Foundations/Open Society Institute Council; and he
11		served as co-chair of the Interarts Council of The Arts Club of
12		Chicago, member of the Visiting Committee to the Department of
13		Music of the University of Chicago, and board member of KAM
14		Isaiah Israel Congregation, the Chicago Children's Choir, and
15		the Independent Voters of Illinois; and
16		WHEREAS, Andrew was a charter member of the Association of
17		Literary Scholars and Critics, a founding member of the Chicago
18		Art Critics Association, and a member of the Music Critics
19		Association of North America, the Authors Guild, Inc., and the
20		executive committee of the American Theater Critics
21		Association; he was the first director of the Programs on Arts
22		Policy at Columbia College Chicago and a director of the
23		Minority High School Summer Journalism Camp at Roosevelt
24		University; he was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian

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1		Hall of Fame in 2013; and
2		WHEREAS, Andrew was known for his sense of humor and for
3		his profound intelligence and his passion for Chicago; his
4		sudden passing is a devastating loss for his family, his wide
5		circle of friends, and all those who admired his work; and
6		WHEREAS, Andrew is survived by his partner, Tom Bachtell;
7		his mother, Irene; and his brothers, Seth and Joshua;
8		therefore, be it
9		RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
10		NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
11		we, along with his family, friends, and colleagues, mourn the
12		passing of Andrew Patner; and be it further
13		RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14		presented to the family of Andrew Patner as an expression of
15		our deepest sympathies and respect.