SR0544 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0544 LRB101 12919 ALS 61754 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of William Penn Nelson of Champaign, who passed away on May 1, 2019; and

WHEREAS, Penn Nelson was born to Lloyd William and Evelyn Penn Nelson on November 26, 1935; he was raised with his sister, Betty Lloyd Nelson (Bauer) in Edina, Minnesota, where he remained through college; he married Barbara Jean Joffe at his parents' home on August 3, 1962; and

WHEREAS, Penn Nelson worked for Hart Schaffner & Marx; he then transferred to work in the custom-tailored clothing business in Champaign-Urbana; during his 18 years in the clothing business, he had the task of measuring the University of Illinois basketball team for custom-tailored blazers during the Harv Schmidt era; he was also the supplier of the original double-knit orange blazer for then-Illinois basketball coach Bob Blackman; after a series of careers, including owning Ye Olde Ice Cream Shoppe and other retail and sales jobs, he was approached and accepted the opportunity to open a Norrell, now Spherion, staffing franchise in 1981; under his leadership, Norrell earned many awards from the corporate office as well as the local community, including the Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year in 1996; and

WHEREAS, Penn Nelson was a committed volunteer and philanthropist in Champaign-Urbana, including his most recent participation as a past president and Paul Harris Fellow of C-U Sunrise Rotary, a member of the Foundation Board for the Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club, where he was also a longtime board member, a member of the Champaign Parks Foundation Board, the United Way Campaign Chairman in 2002, and as a lifetime member of the Optimist Club and Phi Gamma Delta; and

WHEREAS, Penn Nelson was an avid fan of the Illini and attended many sporting events at the University of Illinois; his favorite sport was golf, and he enjoyed teaching his daughters and grandchildren about the sport and playing with his wife and family at the Urbana Golf and Country Club; and

WHEREAS, Penn Nelson is survived by his wife, Barb; his children, Michele (Rob) Baker and Cindy (Mike) Somers; his grandchildren, Robby, Patrick, Justin, Chelsea, and Lainey; his sister, Betty Bauer; and his nephews, Mark, Chris, and Bruce Bauer; 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 William Penn Nelson 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 Penn Nelson as an expression of our deepest sympathy.