SR0373 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of William Hugh Davis of Oak Park, who passed away on September 5, 2007; and

WHEREAS, Bill Davis was born in Baltimore on February 24, 1948; after the divorce of his parents, he was sent to live with his maternal grandparents in the hills of West Virginia; after graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Air Force in August 1966, serving in the Tactical Airlift Squadron at Vung Tau Army Airfield in Vietnam and in Thailand; he joined the Vietnam Veterans Against the War while serving in the Air Force, later becoming a national coordinator; and

WHEREAS, After his discharge in 1970, Bill Davis went to live with his mother in Akron, Ohio, and became more active in the anti-war movement, leading him to move to Columbus, Ohio and Chicago; he met his wife Joan in Chicago, where she had come to protest the war as well; the couple married in 1978 and settled in Oak Park; and

WHEREAS, Bill Davis continued to be a voice against war and was one of the founders of Labor Against the War, a group protesting the Iraq war, and worked closely with Iraq Veterans Against the War; over the years, he had become a staple of Memorial Day and Veterans Day activities throughout Chicago and hosted the Chicago visit of the national tour for the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange; and

WHEREAS, Bill Davis was a mechanic for United Parcel for over 30 years, retiring from his position in 2007; throughtout his career, he was focused on preserving democracy within his union; he was elected President of the Automobile Mechanics Union 701 in 2004; and

WHEREAS, Bill Davis was well known within Automobile Mechanics Union 701 as a natural leader who relentlessly fought for the union's members at meetings and picket lines; he earned the admiration and respect of every member of his union through his determination and his unrelenting belief in his work; and

WHEREAS, Bill Davis was also politically active, having served as a Democratic precinct captain in Oak Park; he also worked on many campaigns, including the campaigns of Danny Davis and Harold Washington; and

WHEREAS, Bill Davis was an avid football and music lover; he served as baseball coach, league director, and board member of Oak Park Youth Baseball; and

WHEREAS, Bill Davis always sported a wide, nurturing smile, which was shaded by a genuine Chicago mustache; and

WHEREAS, Bill Davis was preceded in death by his son, Joshua; and

WHEREAS, Bill Davis is survived by his wife, Joan; his daughter, Rebecca; his father, Warren; his half-siblings, Cathy Fox, Bo Davis, and Carla Taras; his stepsister, Anna Carabucci; his godson, Dylan O'Connor; his nephew, Aaron Gatti; his sister-in-law, Gail Hammer; and his brother-in-law, Claudio Gatti; and

WHEREAS, Bill Davis will be remembered by all who knew and loved him as a charismatic, witty, intelligent, and hard working person who was liked and respected by many, as a person who always took his union business and his public advocacy seriously, and as someone who always stood up for what was right, whether it was for peace and justice or for not throwing back home run balls at Sox Park; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of William Hugh Davis; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of William Hugh Davis as an expression of our sympathy.