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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives were saddened to learn of the death of | ||||||
| 4 | long-time Marion Mayor Robert L. "Bob" Butler, who passed away | ||||||
| 5 | on Monday, April 22, 2019 at a very young 92 years old; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, Mayor Butler served the City of Marion with | ||||||
| 7 | distinction and honor during his record 54 years and nine | ||||||
| 8 | months as mayor; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, Mayor Butler was an energetic and effective | ||||||
| 10 | advocate not only for Marion but for the entire region of | ||||||
| 11 | Southern Illinois; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, Mayor Butler served the people of Marion with | ||||||
| 13 | strength, wisdom, and sensitivity through many disasters, | ||||||
| 14 | including the 1982 Marion Tornado that killed 10 and injured | ||||||
| 15 | 200 and a disastrous fire in 1997 that burned down the town | ||||||
| 16 | civic center; and | ||||||
| 17 | WHEREAS, In 2007, Mayor Butler opposed the Illinois | ||||||
| 18 | electric rate increase; The New York Times ran a news story on | ||||||
| 19 | this issue featuring him; and | ||||||
| 20 | WHEREAS, Mayor Butler won his 14th election for mayor on | ||||||
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| 1 | April 7, 2015 with 71.8 percent of the vote in a three-way | ||||||
| 2 | race; on May 5, 2015, he became the longest-serving mayor in | ||||||
| 3 | Illinois history, surpassing the record of his friend and | ||||||
| 4 | fellow Williamson County Mayor, Frank Caliper of Colp, who | ||||||
| 5 | served 52 years from 1935 to 1987; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, Mayor Butler will be deeply missed by Marion, the | ||||||
| 7 | entire region of Southern Illinois, his children and extended | ||||||
| 8 | family, his many friends, and his loving wife, Louetta; | ||||||
| 9 | therefore, be it
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| 10 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 11 | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 12 | we mourn the death and celebrate the life of Marion Mayor | ||||||
| 13 | Robert L. "Bob" Butler, recognize his contributions to the City | ||||||
| 14 | of Marion, and extend our sincere condolences to his family, | ||||||
| 15 | friends and all who knew and loved him; and be it further
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| 16 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 17 | presented to the family of Mayor Butler and to the City of | ||||||
| 18 | Marion.
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