| Adeline Jay Geo-Karis | |
| Birthname: | Antigone Geokaris |
| Birth Date: | 29 March 1918 |
| Birth Place: | Tegeas, Greece |
| Death Place: | Glenview, Illinois, US |
| State Senate: | Illinois |
| District: | 31st |
| Predecessor: | Larry Leonard |
| Successor: | Michael Bond |
| Term Start1: | 1973 |
| Term End1: | 1979 |
| Party: | Republican |
| Residence: | Zion, Illinois |
| Profession: | Attorney Politician |
| Allegiance: | United States |
| Branch: | United States Naval Reserve |
| Rank: | Lieutenant commander |
Adeline Jay Geo-Karis (March 29, 1918 - February 10, 2008) was a Republican politician and a member of the Illinois Senate for the 31st District, where she served for over 25 years.[1] Prior to her election as Senator, she was in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979.[1] Known simply as "Geo" to her constituents, she was a popular politician in Lake County, Illinois for many years.[2] Known for her no-nonsense attitude and her ability to work across party lines,[2] she also served for a time as Mayor of Zion.
Born in Greece,[1] Geo-Karis came to America at the age of four with her parents.[2] She attended Northwestern University and the DePaul University College of Law.[1] She rose to the rank Lt. Commander in the United States Naval Reserves before retiring with a top secret security clearance.[1] She also served as a Justice of the Peace and later as an assistant state's attorney in Lake County.[1]
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.[3] 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.[1] Geo-Karis was also an avid supporter of Saint Demitrios Greek Orthodox Church, and was a member there for over fifty years.
She died on February 10, 2008, aged 89, of natural causes, at Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview, Illinois.[4] The Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park in Zion is named for her.[5]