Adeline Jay Geo-Karis (March 29, 1918 – February 10, 2008) was a Republican politician and a member of the

Illinois Senate The Illinois Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state, State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adop ...

for the 31st District, where she served for over 25 years.Senator Adeline Jay Geo-Karis
Prior to her election as Senator, she was in the

Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...

from 1973 to 1979. Known simply as "Geo" to her constituents, she was a popular politician in Lake County, Illinois for many years. Known for her no-nonsense attitude and her ability to work across party lines, she also served for a time as Mayor of Zion.

Life

Born in Greece, Geo-Karis came to America at the age of four with her parents. She attended Northwestern University and the DePaul University College of Law. She rose to the rank

Lt. Commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

in the United States Naval Reserves before retiring with a top secret security clearance. She also served as a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

and later as an assistant

state's attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a loc ...

in Lake County. Due to an inter-party feud which included Republican Susan Simpson challenging Geo-Karis after she had told her she wanted to stay on for one more term, Geo-Karis endorsed Democrat Michael Bond to replace her. Bond's election, in a historically Republican district, was one of the many Democratic victories in 2006 that gave the Democratic Party a super-majority in the State Senate. Geo-Karis finished her final term in the 94th General Assembly where she served as the Executive Appointments Co-Chairperson. She also served on the Senate Committee of the Whole and the Pensions & Investments committees. Geo-Karis was also an avid supporter of Saint Demitrios Greek Orthodox Church, and was a member there for over fifty years.

Death and legacy

She died on February 10, 2008, aged 89, of natural causes, at Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview, Illinois. The Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park in Zion is named for her.Adeline Jay Geo-Karis State Park

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Geokaris, Adeline Jay 1918 births 2008 deaths Women mayors of places in Illinois Greek emigrants to the United States Republican Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives Republican Party Illinois state senators Mayors of places in Illinois DePaul University College of Law alumni Northwestern University alumni Illinois lawyers Female United States Navy officers Military personnel from Illinois Women state legislators in Illinois People from Glenview, Illinois People from Zion, Illinois 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American women politicians 20th-century American lawyers United States Navy reservists 21st-century American women