SR0456 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0456 LRB102 19302 LAW 28068 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Lester Eugene "Gene" Rubley of Springfield, who passed away on August 18, 2020; and

WHEREAS, Gene Rubley was born in Springfield to Lester J. and Aurelia Piper Rubley on July 18, 1930; he graduated from Feitshans High School in 1947; he attended Springfield College; he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, where he attained the rank of sergeant first class and received the Good Conduct Award; and

WHEREAS, Gene Rubley worked as a cashier and the supervisor of invoicing for Allis Chalmers, which became Fiat Allis, until the business closed; and

WHEREAS, Gene Rubley was very involved in theater in Springfield and participated both as an actor and a volunteer in numerous plays and musicals; he held many leading and supporting roles, and his favorite role was King's Prime Minister in The King and I at the Springfield Municipal Opera (Muni) in 1971; he was in the television miniseries The Awakening Land with Hal Holbrook and Elizabeth Montgomery; he was a longtime trustee of the Muni, and the Lundgren/Rubley building, which is used for set construction at the MUNI site, was renamed in his honor; and

WHEREAS, Gene Rubley belonged to a number of organizations and served as the vice-president of the Springfield Area Arts Council and the Illinois Community Theatre Association, the secretary/treasurer of Lutheran Charities, a member of the Capitol Township Board of Auditors, the chairman of the Illinois Community Theatre Festival, and the president of Sangamon County Young Republicans; he served on the boards of the Springfield Theater Guild, the Illinois Theatre Association, the Great American People Show, and United Community Services; he was a member of the Artists-in-Residence Panel of the Illinois Arts Council; he was a guest lecturer on Community Arts Management at Sangamon State University; he received the Mayor's Award for the Arts in 1990; and

WHEREAS, Gene Rubley was a longtime member of Grace Lutheran Church, where he sang in the church choir for many years; in retirement, he volunteered at the Grace Food Pantry and as a docent at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum; in addition to theater, he always loved dogs, art, and travel; he was also known for his collections of nutcrackers and masks; he was affectionately referred to by his friends as "Uncle Gene"; and

WHEREAS, Gene Rubley was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Jack K. Rubley; his sister, Joyce Lambert; his niece, Kay Ellen Rice Bell; and his stepfather, Clarence Christian; and

WHEREAS, At the time of his death, Gene Rubley was survived by his niece, Brenda Reid; his nephew, Robert Reynolds; his several great-nieces and great-nephews, including Kirsten Collison and Heather, Joshua, Rebecca, and Kevin Reid; his cousins, Jan (Rubley) Thies and Don Thannen; and his numerous friends; 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 Lester Eugene "Gene" Rubley 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 Gene Rubley as an expression of our deepest sympathy.