IL HR1355

Gene Vanderport, a native of Danville, passed away on June 25, 2016.

Vanderport worked as a social worker at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Danville and held a leadership position with the American Federation of Government Employees union.

He served as a Uniserve Director for the Illinois Education Association of East Central Illinois and co-founded organizations including Socialist Forum, the Living Wage Association of Central Illinois, and the Mother Jones Chapter of Jobs with Justice.

Vanderport actively supported labor rights and social justice causes, including work with Staley workers in Decatur, Campus Coalition of Workers at the University of Illinois, and other labor organizations.

The Illinois House of Representatives expresses sympathy to Vanderport's family and honors his lifetime of service to working people and marginalized communities.