SR0019 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0019 LRB101 06099 MST 51120 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Alvin Ralph "Al" Lee, who passed away on January 1, 2019; and

WHEREAS, Al Lee was born in Gary, Indiana to Robert E. and Emma Jenkins Lee on May 5, 1934; he graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1952 and received an athletic scholarship to Michigan State University, where he was a member of the 1953 National Collegiate Football Champions, the 1953 and 1954 Big Ten Conference champions, and Rose Bowl Collegiate Football Champions; he was captain of special teams in the 1956 Rose Bowl; he was member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and graduated in 1956 with a degree in economics; he enlisted in the United States Army in 1957 and rose to the rank of lieutenant; and

WHEREAS, Al Lee continued his education by participating in the Division of Technical Institute at Purdue University, the Executive Management Program at Pennsylvania State University, the General Motors' Dealer Development Program, and the Ford Motor Company Dealer Training Program; he also attended the Executive Program at the Graduate School of Business at the University of Chicago and received his M.B.A. from The University of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Al Lee worked at numerous automotive dealerships including, Bob Neal Pontiac-Toyota and Bonnie Brook Sales, where he was the sole-owner, dealer, and president; he later operated Chatham Ridge Ford, Bear County Ford, Landmark Ford, Marina Ford, and Steel City Ford; he served as Dealer Principal of Prestige Ford Sales and Service; and

WHEREAS, Al Lee was a member of the Vice President of the United States' Committee on Youth Motivation and Chairman of The Executive Program at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business; he also served as treasurer for Water Tower Place Associates with the Urban Investment and Development Company, on the alumni board for the Executive Program at the University of Chicago, as advisor to the president at the University of Illinois, as a member of the Mortgage Banking Board for the State of Illinois, and as a board member for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition; and

WHEREAS, Al Lee worked with Mayor Harold Washington, Eugene Sawyer, and the Eighth Ward Regular Democratic Organization; he served as deputy comptroller of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County; after retiring, he spent his days at the South Side YMCA; and

WHEREAS, Al Lee is survived by his wife, Bessie; his sons, Alvin Marc (Pamela) and David (Lisa); his grandchildren, Anthony, Aaron, Faith, and Solomon; his great-grandchildren, Theodore, Vivian, and Augustus; his siblings, James (Marsha), Shirley (James), Irma, Yvonne (Charles), Lawrence (Willa), and Horace; his nieces, Niki D'Hana, Anna Charles, and Valarie; his nephews, Eric and Jasen; and numerous other relatives and friends; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Alvin Ralph "Al" Lee 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 Alvin Lee as an expression of our deepest sympathy.