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| 1 | SENATE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened | ||||||
| 3 | to learn of the death of Gerald Joseph "Jerry" Grohn, who | ||||||
| 4 | passed away on March 24, 2026 at the age of 68; and | ||||||
| 5 | WHEREAS, Jerry Grohn was lovingly known as a husband, | ||||||
| 6 | father, son, brother, friend, and coach who lived an | ||||||
| 7 | extraordinary life defined by passion, resilience, and an | ||||||
| 8 | unwavering love for his family and the game of football; and | ||||||
| 9 | WHEREAS, As a dedicated coach at the high school, | ||||||
| 10 | semi-professional, and professional indoor levels, including | ||||||
| 11 | sharing his passion for American football internationally in | ||||||
| 12 | Spain, Jerry Grohn spent decades mentoring young men and | ||||||
| 13 | building character, discipline, and lifelong brotherhoods far | ||||||
| 14 | beyond the field; and | ||||||
| 15 | WHEREAS, With the firm discipline of a coach and the | ||||||
| 16 | loving heart of an uncle, Jerry Grohn developed young men into | ||||||
| 17 | men of character, guiding his teams to state championships | ||||||
| 18 | while instilling toughness, unity, and pride in every player; | ||||||
| 19 | he proudly called his players his "Warheads", a name that | ||||||
| 20 | embodied strength, unity, pride, and the unbreakable bonds he | ||||||
| 21 | forged, turning every team into an extended family; and | ||||||
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| 1 | WHEREAS, Jerry Grohn served as a mentor whose guidance | ||||||
| 2 | extended far beyond the gridiron, teaching the enduring values | ||||||
| 3 | of integrity, perseverance, and teamwork to generations of | ||||||
| 4 | Illinois student-athletes and leaving an indelible mark on the | ||||||
| 5 | fabric of high school and community sports across the State; | ||||||
| 6 | and | ||||||
| 7 | WHEREAS, Jerry Grohn's larger-than-life presence, loyalty, | ||||||
| 8 | humor, strength, and ability to bring people together touched | ||||||
| 9 | countless players, colleagues, and friends, leaving a lasting | ||||||
| 10 | legacy of leadership, community, and heart; and | ||||||
| 11 | WHEREAS, Jerry Grohn was the husband and partner of Julie | ||||||
| 12 | (McKnight) Grohn; the father of Brenden Gerald Grohn; the son | ||||||
| 13 | of Dolores "Dee" Grohn; the brother of James Grohn, Linda | ||||||
| 14 | Pickering, Laura Dominski, and Kathy (Tom) Faille; and the | ||||||
| 15 | uncle of many; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 16 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL | ||||||
| 17 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | ||||||
| 18 | Gerald Joseph "Jerry" Grohn and extend our sincere condolences | ||||||
| 19 | to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be | ||||||
| 20 | it further | ||||||
| 21 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 22 | presented to the family of Jerry Grohn as an expression of our | ||||||
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| 1 | deepest sympathy. | ||||||