HR1022LRB102 29854 MST 42001 r


  
1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly  are 
3saddened
to learn of the death of former Harwood Heights Mayor 
4Ray Willas; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, Mayor Willas was born to John and Agnes Willas on 
6March 17, 1932; and
  
 
7    WHEREAS, Mayor Willas was a student at St. Fidelis 
8Elementary School, Tuley High School, and Wright Junior 
9College; and
  
 
10    WHEREAS, Mayor Willas served his country as an engineer in 
11the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Korean War from 1952 
12through 1954; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Mayor Willas worked in the private sector as the 
14finance director of C.F.S. Continental Coffee and L. Karp & 
15Sons; and
 
16    WHEREAS, In 1965, Mayor Willas moved to the Village of 
17Harwood Heights and received a parking ticket on his car in 
18front of his new home for not displaying a vehicle sticker, 
19which was dismissed after a heated discussion with the police 
20chief; and
 
 
 
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1    WHEREAS, Mayor Willas previously served on the Harwood 
2Heights Zoning Board of Appeals for two years; in 1968, he was 
3appointed to a vacant Harwood Heights trustee's chair and was 
4elected to a full term as trustee in 1971; and
 
5    WHEREAS, In 1973, Mayor Willas was elected as mayor of 
6Harwood Heights and served in that position until his 
7retirement in 2001; and
 
8    WHEREAS, In addition to serving as mayor of Harwood 
9Heights, Mayor Willas also served as president of the 
10Leyden-Norwood Park Municipal League, president of the West 
11Central Municipal League, and as a member of the Illinois 
12Municipal League Board; and
  
 
13    WHEREAS, In 1986, Mayor Willas expressed to the Chicago 
14Tribune that being the mayor of a small village meant that "The 
15buck stops here. In a small town, people know who to call when 
16they have problems...And yes, it delays dinner sometimes, but 
17I've found what people usually need is just someone who's 
18willing to listen and help, if possible"; and
  
 
19    WHEREAS, Mayor Willas was married to his wife, Barbara, 
20for 64 years and was the father of Mary Kay Pawlak, the 
21father-in-law of Gary Pawlak, and the grandfather of Andrew, 
 
 
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1Brian (Diego), and Kaitlyn Pawlak; therefore, be it
  
 
2    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 
3HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE 
4SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we extend our hearts and 
5condolences to the family of former Harwood Heights Mayor Ray 
6Willas; and be it further
 
7    RESOLVED, That we recognize the decades of service, 
8commitment to community, and hard work that Mayor Willas 
9dedicated to his home of Harwood Heights, the "island in the 
10city", which he  succeeded in making a great place to live; and 
11be it further
  
 
12    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be 
13presented to Barbara Willas, Mary Kay Pawlak, Andrew Pawlak, 
14Brian Pawlak, and Kaitlyn Pawlak as an expression of our 
15deepest sympathy.