SR0164 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0164 LRB103 30796 ECR 57288 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Robert "Bob" Emmett McGrath of New Jersey, who passed away on December 4, 2022 at the age of 90; and

WHEREAS, Bob McGrath was born in Ottawa, Illinois on June 13, 1932 to Edmund Thomas McGrath and Flora Agnes (Halligan) McGrath; and

WHEREAS, Bob McGrath's father, Edmund, was a farmer; his mother, Flora, who sang and played piano, recognized his impressive singing voice by age five; as such, he began entering and winning competitions in Chicago and was featured on the radio as well; and

WHEREAS, Bob McGrath changed his educational and professional plans after attending a Chicagoland summer music camp once he graduated from high school; when he became a college student, he chose to major in voice over engineering; and

WHEREAS, Upon graduation from the University of Michigan in 1954, Bob McGrath served for two years in the United States Army; he was stationed in Stuttgart, Germany; and

WHEREAS, Bob McGrath incorporated his passion for music into his Armed Services experience by joining the Seventh Army Symphony; he moved to New York City once this call to duty ended; and

WHEREAS, Bob McGrath met his future wife, Ann Logan Sperry, on his first day in the Big Apple; he later earned a master's degree in music from the Manhattan School; and

WHEREAS, Bob McGrath became one of 25 male singers that starred in the Sing Along with Mitch television show in 1961; prior to this casting, he taught at the St. David's private boys' school in Manhattan and performed as a freelance artist; and

WHEREAS, Bob McGrath was promoted as the feature male soloist on Sing Along with Mitch after the host, Mitch Miller, listened to his rendition of Mother Machree; and

WHEREAS, Bob McGrath embarked on an international group tour, including 30 performances in Japan, after the show's final episode; before long, he developed a Japanese fan base, which led to the recording of nine albums in the country on Columbia Records' Japanese label, Nippon Columbia; and

WHEREAS, Bob McGrath transitioned to regular performances for a younger audience by joining the debut cast of Sesame Street in 1969; art imitated life in that his character was a human music teacher named Bob; he was a mainstay on the show for nearly 50 years, or 47 seasons; he was also a part of longer Sesame Street productions, such as Elmo Saves Christmas, Follow that Bird, and A Special Sesame Street Christmas; and

WHEREAS, Bob McGrath was known for his overt acts of kindness and accommodation for his co-performers; for example, he learned American Sign Language to better communicate with a fellow actor who was born deaf; and

WHEREAS, Bob McGrath continued to participate in public Sesame Street-related events after his 2017 departure; and

WHEREAS, Bob McGrath is survived by his wife, Ann; his children, Cathlin, Liam, Robert, and Lily McGrath and Alison McGrath Osder; his older sister, Eileen Strobel; and his eight grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Robert "Bob" Emmett McGrath 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 Robert "Bob" Emmett McGrath as an expression of our deepest sympathy.