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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
3 | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of former | ||||||
4 | Illinois State Representative Raymond Whitney Ewell, who | ||||||
5 | passed away on October 28, 2022; and
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6 | WHEREAS, Rep. Ewell, the second child of Whitney and | ||||||
7 | Severine Ewell, was born in Chicago on December 29, 1928; and
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8 | WHEREAS, Rep. Ewell excelled academically as an | ||||||
9 | adolescent, attending Corpus Christi Elementary School and | ||||||
10 | later graduating from Englewood High School in Chicago in | ||||||
11 | 1946; and | ||||||
12 | WHEREAS, Following high school, Rep. Ewell earned a | ||||||
13 | Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois in 1949, a | ||||||
14 | Master of Arts in 1951, and a Juris Doctor from the University | ||||||
15 | of Chicago in 1954; and | ||||||
16 | WHEREAS, Rep. Ewell's commitment to service began with his | ||||||
17 | military conscription into the U.S. Army, and after concluding | ||||||
18 | his military career with an honorable discharge, he | ||||||
19 | re-established himself in the legal field, practicing law for | ||||||
20 | 53 years and becoming a partner at the law offices of Ewell, | ||||||
21 | Graham, McCormick, Ross and Davidson; and |
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1 | WHEREAS, After years of participation in the 17th Ward | ||||||
2 | Regular Democratic Organization, Rep. Ewell was elected to the | ||||||
3 | Illinois House of Representatives and served the 29th District | ||||||
4 | from 1967 to 1983; and | ||||||
5 | WHEREAS, At the height of the Civil Rights Movement in | ||||||
6 | 1967, Rep. Ewell, along with State Representatives Harold | ||||||
7 | Washington, Louis A. H. Caldwell, Otis Collins, Kenneth Hall, | ||||||
8 | and Calvin L. Smith and Senators Richard H. Newhouse and | ||||||
9 | Charles Chew Jr., founded the Illinois Legislative Black | ||||||
10 | Caucus; and
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11 | WHEREAS, During his tenure in office, Rep. Ewell served in | ||||||
12 | numerous leadership roles, such as chairman of the Illinois | ||||||
13 | House Higher Education Committee, chairman of the Illinois | ||||||
14 | Legislative Black Caucus, and chairman of the National Society | ||||||
15 | of State Legislators; and
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16 | WHEREAS, While in office and following his retirement from | ||||||
17 | the Illinois General Assembly, Rep. Ewell was an active member | ||||||
18 | in numerous organizations, including the Federal Public | ||||||
19 | Defender Program, the Cook County Bar Association, the NAACP, | ||||||
20 | the Washington Park Y.M.C.A., the Southtown Y.M.C.A, the | ||||||
21 | Business Men's Association, the St. Carthage Grooming School | ||||||
22 | for Boys, and the Perry Avenue Block Club; and |
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1 | WHEREAS, Rep. Ewell was preceded in death by his first | ||||||
2 | wife, Joyce Ewell; and
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3 | WHEREAS, Rep. Ewell is survived by his wife, Marcia Ewell; | ||||||
4 | his sons, David Raymond, Marc Whitney, Raymond Anthony "Tony", | ||||||
5 | Anthony Romain, and Marcus Alleyne; his grandchildren, Marc | ||||||
6 | Jr., Kareim, Raymond Anthony Jr., Kendall, Drew, Diana, | ||||||
7 | Cameron, and Ala; and his great-grandchildren, Silas, Kai, | ||||||
8 | Aiyanna, and Kree; therefore, be it
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9 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
10 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
11 | we mourn the passing of former Illinois State Representative | ||||||
12 | Raymond Whitney Ewell and extend our sincere condolences to | ||||||
13 | his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it | ||||||
14 | further
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15 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
16 | presented to the family of Rep. Ewell as an expression of our | ||||||
17 | deepest sympathy.
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