SR0366 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0366 LRB100 12116 MAS 24401 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Luke Miller of Champaign, who passed away on March 11, 2017; and

WHEREAS, Luke Miller was born in Urbana to Ryan and Heather (Cupps) Miller on May 6, 2001; and

WHEREAS, Luke Miller was a sophomore at Champaign Centennial High School; he was a member of the Charger archery and golf teams, and was awarded an academic letter in the fall of 2016; and

WHEREAS, Luke Miller was one of the top male archery shooters in the State; he excelled in the sport not only as an athlete, but as a teammate and he demonstrated excellent sportsmanship; in 2016, at the NASP Archery Tournament in Louisville, Kentucky, he placed in the top 1% of shooters ranking him 55th out of nearly 13,000 total participants; he was also a talented budding artist and participated in many art classes at Centennial; he recently had his art displayed at a juried show at the Illini Union Art Gallery; and

WHEREAS, Luke Miller began working with the Urbana Park District Urban Planning Department in the summer of 2016 where he was learning about park management and natural resources for a potential career; he was an active member of the All School 4-H Club having served as President, Vice-President, and Treasurer during his eight years in 4-H; he won many awards at the Illinois State Fair including Grand Champion and State Superior ribbons in photography, geology, art, and sport fishing; he was instrumental in mentoring younger 4-H members in their projects and encouraging them to get involved in other 4-H activities; and

WHEREAS, Luke Miller played Little League baseball for the American and Champaign East Little Leagues; he was often the tall lefty at first base, and had a curve ball that left many batters and umpires stumped; he threw one game in his last year as a suited level player with 14 strikeouts, and hit a stand-up triple in the same game; he played for the Jefferson Middle School baseball team during his eight grade year; he was a member of the Science Olympiad Team for three years, was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society, and was on the honor roll; he was a member of the standout Jaguar Archery Team where, as a member of the top-shooting "Gold Team", he was awarded a medal as the Illinois Middle School State Male Champion, and competed at the National and World tournaments; and

WHEREAS, Luke Miller had a passion and a zest for life and did nothing at less than 100%; he was often called an "old soul" by many because of his maturity and compassion for others; he loved fishing for hours at subdivision ponds, photography, geology, Cardinal baseball, golfing, and spending time with his family and friends; he loved helping others with anything they needed, whether that was talking to someone during a tough time and making them laugh when they needed it, helping with homework, learning how to fish, teaching archery tips, or giving a timely hug; his smile was infectious, his jokes legendary, and he had enough fishing equipment to rival a sporting goods store; he had a big personality and will be missed dearly by so many lives he touched; and

WHEREAS, Luke Miller is survived by his parents; his grandparents, Larry and Susan Miller, and Beth and Bill Cupps; his uncles and aunts, Marc and Debbie Miller, and Brad and Laurel Allen; and his beloved cousins, Lilly and Logan Allen; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Luke Miller, and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Luke Miller as an expression of our deepest sympathy.