HR0406 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0406 LRB104 13974 MST 26933 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Thomas M. "Tom" Yucuis of East Dundee, who passed away on February 24, 2025; and

WHEREAS, Tom Yucuis was born in Chicago to Charles P. and Carol J. (Sommer) Yucuis on December 6, 1955; he was raised in Sleepy Hollow and graduated from Dundee Community High School in Carpentersville in 1973; he married Jill A. Rakow on May 1, 1976; and

WHEREAS, Tom Yucuis was a butcher and meat cutter for 50 years; he owned and operated Butcher On The Block Meat and Deli in Lake in the Hills with his wife; his vision was to create a small family business where he could share his expertise and passion for great food, and over the course of his 25 years in business, his daughters and many grandchildren have worked at Butcher on the Block, sharing in his dream; he loved interacting with his loyal customers who supported the business and made it the success that it is today; and

WHEREAS, Tom Yucuis had a passion and commitment to giving that knew no limits; he was a great partner to the D300 Food Pantry, which provides D300 children, employees, and their families with access to food and other resources that nurture a healthier, happier, and stronger community; he was in constant contact with the organization, offering items to donate or a special price he was able to get on meat from one of his many vendors; additionally, he facilitated the donation process with vendors who were looking to make a donation due to an excess quantity of a product, and he created a "buy one donate one" program for turkeys during Thanksgiving, which benefited multiple food pantries and fire departments that were helping local families; and

WHEREAS, Tom Yucuis was a longtime faithful member of Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church in East Dundee; he was an avid golfer and a fan of the White Sox, Chicago Bears, and Chicago Blackhawks; he could easily be found frequenting East Dundee businesses, enjoying Wine Down Wednesdays, Thirsty Thursdays, or just a nice walk downtown; he loved his grandchildren, supporting them at their sporting events and through other life events; he loved to travel and spent vacations with his beloved wife and family; and

WHEREAS, Tom Yucuis was preceded in death by his parents; his daughter, Emily; his brother, Raymond Yucuis; his sister, Shari Anatra; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Eugene and Barbara Rakow; and his brothers-in-law, Lane Rakow and Bruce Kling; and

WHEREAS, Tom Yucuis survived by his wife of 50 years, Jill; his daughters, Dana Yucuis, Katie (Vince) Neil, and Brynn (Brian) Zimmerman; his grandchildren, Preston (Jillian), Shea, Dominik, Kendall, Anya, Brady, Spencer, Cameron, Macy, and Maddox; his siblings, Lynne Kling, James (Ann), Jack (Jacquie), Rob (Chris) Yucuis, and Nancy (Brad) Dehmlow; his Rakows-in-law, Kristi (Dennis) DeSantis, Mark (Debra) Rakow, Lantz (Marianne) Rakow, and Susan Rakow; many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews; and countless good and faithful friends; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Thomas M. "Tom" Yucuis of East Dundee 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 Tom Yucuis of East Dundee as an expression of our deepest sympathy.