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Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, there are some people in the world who can be captured by a single word. For JoAnne L. Cicchelli, who passed away in August, that word is joy. JoAnne lived her life in search of finding joy for herself and creating it for others.

JoAnne was born in Monroe, MI, and her childhood was filled with love, laughter, and learning. She attended Monroe High School and went on to attend Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI--an affiliation she was proud to display to the world, as evidenced by the Spartan green helmet bumper sticker that adorned her car. At Michigan State, JoAnne discovered the joy of education. She attended college during the 1960s, a time when young people all across the Nation were becoming increasingly politically active. JoAnne's college years, like those of many college students, were a time of discovery and exploration, engaging new ideas, people, and points of view. She developed an earnest desire to know more about the world around her, a desire she would carry with her for the rest of her life.

Life would lead JoAnne to Illinois--which eventually became home--and where she discovered the joy of teaching. In her early career, she served as an educator, teaching fifth grade and then high school history. She would come back to the field of education years later, when she would join Prime-Time School Television, a nonprofit organization that connected teachers, families, and public television. I can only imagine how passionate, dedicated, and enthusiastic a teacher she must have been. Her students were lucky to learn from her. Understanding the importance of local education policy, she was also deeply involved in the community of Frances W. Parker School, a school in Lincoln Park, IL, where her daughters, granddaughters, and nephews all attended.

She also served on the board of Christopher House, a social service agency supporting families from birth through high school. After JoAnne played a pivotal role in helping them launch their middle school, they named it in her honor. In October 2018, I was fortunate enough to attend the groundbreaking of JoAnne L. Cicchelli Middle School, which now stands as a fitting tribute to JoAnne's dedication to education, learning, and children.

Anyone who knew JoAnne also knew she was deeply passionate about politics. She first entered the political realm following the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. She started as a precinct worker during mayoral campaigns, became a strategist, and ultimately served as the office manager for 43rd Ward Alderman Edwin Eisendrath. She loved Chicago and all who call the city home.

As an intellectual force, JoAnne could keep up with the best of them, but not everyone could keep up with her. JoAnne met her match in the early 1980s when she met former Chicago alderman, my friend William ``Bill'' Singer. They bonded over shared interests: politics, art, travel, and food, and in 1995, JoAnne and Bill were married in Florence, Italy. Their support and love for one another formed the foundation of their love for others.

But more than anything, JoAnne had a gift of connecting with people, making everyone she came across feel heard and valued. Whenever she would enter a store or sit down at a restaurant, she would immediately ask the saleswoman or server for their thoughts on the latest news, what was going on in Chicago, or politics. But these were not empty questions to fill moments of silence. She cared to hear what they had to say because she believed that every person had a role to play in making the world a better place. She longed to connect and find the joy in others.

JoAnne had a profound appreciation for beauty. In between discussions of how to expand access to education to more children or confront the issues of the day, she found herself most at home tending to her garden, deriving joy from the beauty of the natural world.

Loretta and I were lucky to have called JoAnne our treasured friend. To her husband Bill; her two daughters Elizabeth and Katherine; her three grandchildren Grace, Eleanor, and Beatrice; and to all of her family and friends who are also mourning this tremendous loss, we extend our sincerest sympathies. JoAnne was a light that brightened the lives of all of those in her orbit, and the world feels a little less luminous without her. We will miss her dearly.

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