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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives were saddened to learn of the passing of one of
4our oldest and dearest friends, Bill Luking, on June 12, 2014;
5and
 
6    WHEREAS, William H. Luking was born on August 7, 1947 in
7Connersville, Indiana, the eldest of the 9 children of Lowell
8and Elizabeth McCarthy Luking; he graduated from Connersville
9High School in 1965, graduated cum laude from the University of
10Notre Dame in 1969, and graduated from Northwestern University
11Law School in 1972; he later served his country as a First
12Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Bill Luking was one of the Statehouse's most
14knowledgeable advocates; he was a wise expert who understood
15State, local, and federal law; he loved his work and its focus
16on complex issues involving taxation, economic development,
17public pensions, and mass transit; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Beginning in 1986 under the administration of
19Mayor Harold Washington, Bill Luking represented the City of
20Chicago with commitment and skill; he would go on to serve as a
21key advocate for the City for nearly 30 more years under Mayors
22Richard M. Daley and Rahm Emanuel; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Bill Luking's talents, skills, and vast knowledge
2helped him fight for millions of Chicagoans, conservationists,
3and nature lovers as he represented the Chicago Public Schools,
4the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Transit Authority, the
5City Colleges of Chicago, and - one of his favorites - the
6Chicago Botanic Garden; and
 
7    WHEREAS, In his years of distinguished service, Bill Luking
8was instrumental in the passage of some of the most significant
9laws affecting Chicago and its landscape, including the
10construction of the new Comiskey Park, now U.S. Cellular Field;
11the expansion of Soldier Field; the privatization of Midway
12Airport; strengthening the City's authority over its school
13system; and reforms that helped preserve the solvency of
14Chicago's pension system and the retirement security of
15countless numbers of municipal workers; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Bill Luking and his firm, Luking and Associates,
17L.L.C., were proud of their pro bono work on behalf of the
18Chicago Christian Industrial League, Tuesday's Child, the
19Howard Area Community Association, the Chicago Children's
20Advocacy Center, and the Southwest Youth Collaborative; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Bill Luking was regarded by his peers, whether
22advocating on the same side of an issue or in opposition to

 

 

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1him, as intelligent, forthright, and honest; he paved the way
2for legislative success for many generations of newcomers to
3the Capitol's corridors and his mastery of legislative history
4and arcane Supreme Court decisions made him a better reference
5source than Google; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Bill Luking was universally regarded as a
7gentleman and a scholar, as well as a man of warmth and humor;
8and
 
9    WHEREAS, Bill Luking is survived by his siblings, Laura
10(Peter) Jamison, Meg Luking, Mary Anne Morris, Beth Luking,
11Gene (Debbie) Luking, Joe (Johnnie) Luking, Charlene (Larry)
12Wood, and Rosemary (Jay) Card; 13 nieces and nephews; 13
13great-nieces and great-nephews; and his friend and companion,
14Claire Manning; therefore, be it
 
15    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
16NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
17we, along with his family and friends, mourn the passing of
18Bill Luking; and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20presented to the family of Bill Luking as a symbol of our deep
21sympathies and great esteem.