SR0243 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0243 LRB102 18231 MST 25882 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Benjamin J. "Ben" Cheek of Rantoul, who passed away on March 9, 2021; and

WHEREAS, Ben Cheek was born to Bertha (Hunter) and Benjamin Cheek in Warrenton, North Carolina on May 8, 1936; he joined the U.S. Air Force and served as a fire protection specialist and with a helicopter rescue group; he served overseas in England and Africa and was stationed at a variety of locations throughout the U.S.; he married Emily Harris in Washington, D.C. on June 6, 1959 and completed his 20-year Air Force career at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul; and

WHEREAS, Ben Cheek often held a second job in addition to his full-time military service; he was a bouncer at the base NCO Club, bagged groceries at the commissary, and worked at Eisner's grocery store in Rantoul, serving first in the meat department and then the produce department; he became the grocery manager and finally the manager of the entire store; and

WHEREAS, Ben Cheek retired from the Air Force and worked as a civil servant, where he was in charge of coordinating many training manuals for all of the Armed Forces; he also worked one more part-time stint as a bus driver, this time for Rantoul Township High School; and

WHEREAS, Ben Cheek spent time as a firefighter; during Fire Prevention Week, he would visit his children's schools and give them and their classmates rides on his fire truck; and

WHEREAS, Ben Cheek served on the Rantoul City Schools Board of Education for 17 years; and

WHEREAS, Ben Cheek was not political, but in 1968, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, the local television station in Minot announced it would not carry his funeral; he and his wife helped organize a protest and letter writing campaign that led the station to reverse that decision and honor Dr. King with live coverage of his services; and

WHEREAS, Ben Cheek and his wife volunteered as chaperones at school dances, and he attended as many of his grandchildren's events and activities as possible; he loved giving them creative pet names; he was a devoted and protective father and grandfather; and

WHEREAS, Ben Cheek was an active member of Rantoul First United Methodist Church for 47 years, where he served in many ways; he was on the Board of Trustees, a member of the finance committee, an usher, and the elevator operator; and

WHEREAS, Ben Cheek was an avid sports fan; he and his wife were season ticket holders for the University of Illinois basketball team; his favorite baseball team was the New York Mets, although he also rooted for the Cubs; he was a devoted fan of the Green Bay Packers, but he would support the Chicago Bears; his barbecue grilling skills were legendary; and

WHEREAS, Ben Cheek was affectionate and often showed his love in simple ways like preparing Emily's special coffee or the special drink they shared, scraping the car windows for his daughters after a snowfall, and treating Emily and, years after she passed, Harriette Dottery, as the treasures he knew they were; he spent the last years of his life doing the things he loved with Harriette, enjoying being with family, meeting new people, and traveling; and

WHEREAS, Ben Cheek was preceded in death by his wife, Emily; his parents; and all seven of his siblings; and

WHEREAS, Ben Cheek is survived by his companion, Harriette; his children, Ramona, Keith (Amy), Sharon (Shonda Russell), Monica (Sam) Hall, and Niki (Asa) Pettit; and his grandchildren, Quintin, Eric, and Emily Cheek, Jordan and Nathan Russell, Samuel IV, Anisa, and Elijah Hall, and Ameea and Kalel Pettit; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Benjamin J. "Ben" Cheek 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 Ben Cheek as an expression of our deepest sympathy.