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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Ken Gunji of Champaign, who passed away
4on September 30, 2017; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Ken Gunji was born in Los Angeles on May 25, 1934;
6he moved to Japan with his parents when they decided to return
7prior to December 7, 1941; he later returned to the United
8States and lived in Chicago, where he attended high school; he
9was the first Japanese-American in Chicago to achieve the rank
10of Eagle Scout; he earned both his bachelor and master's
11degrees at the University of Illinois; he began a one-year
12pen-pal correspondence with Kimiko; her letters drew him back
13to Japan, and within two weeks of meeting, they married; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Ken Gunji was commissioned and served two years on
15active duty with the United States Army and retired 25 years
16later from the Illinois National Guard with the rank of
17lieutenant colonel; after active duty, he worked in Student
18Services for the University of Illinois and Parkland College
19for 32 years; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Ken Gunji was a member of the Champaign Rotary; he
21served as sergeant-at-arms, secretary, and board member before
22serving as World's Greatest Rotary Club President; he was the

 

 

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1second Champaign Rotarian to receive the Rotary Foundation's
2Citation for Meritorious Service; he was elected as district
3governor and led the district, visited every club in the
4district, and still remained active in World's Greatest Rotary;
5he then served as District 6490's delegate to the Rotary
6International Institute and later as zone coordinator for the
7World Community Service Task Force for Rotary International;
8and
 
9    WHEREAS, Ken Gunji was a volunteer leader for the Boy
10Scouts of America and served as President of the Prairielands
11Council and as area vice president; he participated in camp
12inspections at Camp Drake; he was a recipient of the Silver
13Beaver Award from the local Boy Scouts of America Council and
14was later presented the Silver Antelope Award by the National
15Council of Boy Scouts of America; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Ken Gunji was a longtime baseball coach for the
17Babe Ruth Youth League; he served on the Chanute Aerospace
18Museum Foundation, Champaign Public Library Foundation, Crime
19Stoppers, Salvation Army Board, and many other local
20organizations; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Ken Gunji loved socializing with friends and
22family; he was an avid fan of the Chicago Cubs and faithful
23supporter of the Fighting Illini; he delighted in the Peanuts

 

 

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1comic strip and had a soft spot for Snoopy; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Ken Gunji carried true civic responsibility with
3great integrity; he was a beloved husband, father, grandfather,
4and friend; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Ken Gunji is survived by his wife, Kimiko; his
6daughters, Tricia (Robert) Ballsrud and Jennifer (Jeff)
7Rinaldo; and his granddaughter, Mika; therefore, be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL
9ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
10Ken Gunji, and extend our sincere condolences to his family,
11friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
13presented to the family of Ken Gunji as an expression of our
14deepest sympathy.