SR2249 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR2249 LRB100 24411 ALS 43724 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Charles E. Finn of Champaign, who passed away on December 8, 2018; and

WHEREAS, Charles Finn was born in Paxton to Earnest and Jessie Finn on June 10, 1933; he was raised and educated in Gibson City and graduated from Gibson City High School in 1951; he was a member of the National Honor Society and participated in football, basketball, track, and drama; he graduated from the University of Illinois in 1955 and was a member of the Sigma Pi fraternity; he was also the varsity football senior manager under coach Ray Elliott and a member of the Tribe of Illini and the Sachem Honor Society; he received the MaWanDa Honorary Activities Award, was one of the top 100 Senior Men, was the house treasurer of the Sigma Pi fraternity, and was a member of the Student Senate; while a senior at the University of Illinois, he married Blanche Marie Faikus and also served as the assistant secretary of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce; and

WHEREAS, Charles Finn served in the United States Army Reserves as a captain in the ARMOR Division; he received a commendation medal in 1958; and

WHEREAS, Charles Finn joined the family business, Finn Furniture, in Gibson City; he was then hired by Kroehler Furniture Company as a salesman and sales manager; he later went to work for the Alan White Corporation as the vice president of Midwest sales; he returned to Kroehler Furniture as the national account manager and corporate vice president and general manager of the southwest region of the United States; in 1982, he went to work at Flexsteel Industries as vice president and then as sales manager at Cleveland Chair Company; he finally started his own marketing company, Professional Furniture Marketing with Bob O'Meara and continued to direct sales and merchandising until he retired at the age of 75; and

WHEREAS, Charles Finn was a philanthropist and supporter of the University of Illinois; he donated to funds for scholarships for business majors at the College of Business and the Dike Eddleman Scholarship Fund and also for the indoor football practice field and the equipment room; and

WHEREAS, Charles Finn's University of Illinois alumni experiences included being a member of the President's Council U of I Foundation in 1989, a member of the Business Activity Council and Dean's Business Council from 1995 until 2011, and the College of Business chairman from 2003 until 2006; he was a supporter of the I Fund and a member of the Loyalty Circle for ten years; he received the William E. Winter Award from the U of I Foundation for National Advocacy in 2002, the U of I Alumni Association Loyalty Service Award in 2004, and the Varsity I Man of the Year Award through the DIA in 2005; he received the College of Business Alumni Association Appreciation Award at the Spring Chicago Luncheon in 2013; and

WHEREAS, Charles Finn was a historian of "The Galloping Ghost" Red Grange's life story and commissioned a screenplay to promote the making of a feature film; in 2013, he wrote a play titled "Red Grange Comes to the Virginia Theater," which was produced and performed as a fundraiser to buy a new projector for the theater; and

WHEREAS, In recognition for his service to the Virginia Theater, Charles Finn was selected as honorary commissioner for the Champaign Park District in 2013; from 2006 until 2017, he served as chairman of the Finance Committee of Savoy United Methodist Church, and, during that time, the church paid off its mortgage; he was a member of the Champaign/Urbana Noon Kiwanis Club and served as president from 2017 until 2018; on December 7, 2018, he was presented the Kiwanian of the Year Award; he was a loving husband to his wife and a role model for his children; he taught them to live life to the fullest, follow their dreams, and to never give up; and

WHEREAS, Charles Finn is survived by his wife, Blanche; his son, Steven Charles Finn; his daughter, Pamela Finn Trueblood; his ex-son-in-law, Steven David Trueblood; his grandson, Robert Steven Finn; his granddaughter, Jennifer Marie Trueblood; and his cousins, Maxine Stroh, Ray Stroh, and Anita Lahr; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Charles E. Finn 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 Charles Finn as an expression of our deepest sympathy.