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1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, This body wishes to extend its sympathy to the
3 family of Shirley LaVada Hall, who recently passed away; and
4 WHEREAS, Shirley LaVada Hall was born in Chicago,
5 Illinois, on December 9, 1931; her parents were Walter and
6 LaVada Hall; as a child, Shirley danced with her sister and
7 brother at the Sammy Dyer School of the Theatre and began a
8 lifelong love of dancing; and
9 WHEREAS, In addition to dancing, she also spent summers
10 at Michigan State University, at the Gym Clinic set up for
11 the advancement of gymnastics; and
12 WHEREAS, Shirley Hall continued to study classical
13 ballet, tap, and theatrical production; in 1950 Sammy Dyer
14 formed The Dyerettes, an African-American female dance and
15 acrobatic troupe, with Shirley as a part of the group;
16 together they toured with Sammy Davis, Jr., Nat King Cole,
17 Ray Charles, Count Basie, and Sarah Vaughn; and
18 WHEREAS, After the group performed in the Bahamas,
19 Shirley Hall decided to make the Bahamas her home; she
20 continued to teach at the Sammy Dyer School, becoming
21 director when Sammy Dyer passed away; Shirley married Ralph
22 Bass in 1960 and in 1965 they built themselves a home in
23 Nassau; Joanne Fox, the Bahamian daughter of Shirley and
24 Ralph, came into their lives in 1975; and
25 WHEREAS, In the Bahamas, Shirley worked with the National
26 Dance School under the Ministry of Education and formed the
27 Bahamas Dance Theatre; she worked with the Miss Bahamas
28 Competition, and continue to work on different forms of
29 entertainment; and
30 WHEREAS, Shirley LaVada Hall is survived by her daughter,
31 Joanne Fox; her sisters, Veralene Scott, Louise Carter, and
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1 Mary Burke; her aunts, Geneva Butler and Louise Shaw; her
2 nieces and nephews, Maurice Scott III, Dolly Scott, Joanne
3 Scott, Gene G. Scott, Heather Silverman, Michael Bass,
4 Cristin Carole, Lauren Teruel, Elizabeth Scott, Maurice Scott
5 IV, David Scott, Ellen Scott, Michelle Scott, Adia Scott,
6 Aaron Scott, Melanie Burke, and Paul Burke; and many other
7 relatives and friends; therefore, be it
8 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
9 NINETIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
10 mourn, along with her family and friends, the death of
11 Shirley LaVada Hall; may they find peace and solace in this
12 time of need; and be it further
13 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14 presented to the family of Shirley LaVada Hall.
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