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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Donald A. Benchley of Hampshire, who
4passed away on January 13, 2017 at the age of 91; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Donald Benchley was born in Evanston on April 24,
61925; after graduating from high school he entered the United
7States Navy serving as a radioman aboard the carrier USS
8Salamaua in the Pacific; near the end of his tour, he met
9Joyce, his wife of 69 years; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Donald Benchley was a natural salesman; he worked
11with his father in the furniture business, representing several
12furniture and lamp manufacturers, during which time he made
13many lifelong friends and loyal customers; he also worked at
14the Taylor YMCA front desk, as an EMT for the Hampshire Fire
15Department, and at the Superwash car wash in Hampshire; in each
16job, he made friends and did what he could to make each
17customer's day better; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Donald Benchley and his wife lived on George
19Street in Chicago when they were first married and then moved
20to their first house on Ridge Road in Highland Park; they later
21moved to a larger home in Highland Park on Princeton Avenue;
22their last move was to a farm in Hampshire in 1971 where they

 

 

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1raised or kept chickens, goats, turkeys, peacocks, horses,
2cows, as well as having many barn sales, and a massive garden;
3and
 
4    WHEREAS, Donald Benchley made full use of his military
5tuition exemption to take classes at Elgin Community College
6for 28 years, learning glass blowing, welding, and
7jewelry-making; his found-art welding projects were displayed
8in galleries and outdoors in Elgin; he also took commissioned
9work for customers; he made scale models of animals, plants,
10and insects out of scrap metal and wood; among his creations
11was a half-scale giraffe, a one-third-scale allosaurus, a
12full-scale silverback gorilla, a miniature buffalo, a
13full-scale human skeleton, a family of turtles, and a four-foot
14spider; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Donald Benchley was a member of the First United
16Methodist Church in Hampshire; his most meaningful and
17fulfilling time was spent ministering to the homeless and those
18in jail through the Wayside Cross Ministries; he spent more
19than 20 years going to Aurora and Elgin, providing Bible study,
20life lessons, and advice to those who most needed it; he was
21Wayside's Volunteer of the Year in 1999; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Donald Benchley was a no-frills guy; he was
23honest, hardworking, and dedicated to his God and his family;

 

 

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1he was an exceptional example of how to conduct oneself as a
2husband, father, grandfather, and mentor; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Donald Benchley was preceded in death by his
4parents, Henry and Margaret Benchley; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Donald Benchley is survived by his wife, Joyce;
6his four children, Jeffrey (Terry) Benchley, Janet (Robert)
7Abramson, John Benchley, and Jason (Julie) Benchley; his eight
8grandchildren, Jeffrey Eric (Vanessa) Benchley, Justin Allen
9(Iriss) Benchley, Courtney (Joseph) Benchley Torelli, Brittany
10(Edward) Benchley May, Julie (Scott) Abramson Brosnan,
11Marjorie (Jason) Abramson Kranz, Jonathon (Sheena) Abramson,
12and Maxwell Benchley; his eight great-grandchildren; and his
13best friend, Larry Wedding; therefore, be it
 
14    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL
15ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
16Donald A. Benchley, and extend our sincere condolences to his
17family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
18further
 
19    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20presented to the family of Donald Benchley as an expression of
21our deepest sympathy.