SR0059 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0059 LRB094 10604 HSS 40924 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois learned with sadness of the death of Frank K. Burgess of Batavia, formerly of Geneva, on January 23, 2005; and

WHEREAS, He was born on January 31, 1920, in Aurora, to Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Burgess of Aurora; as a boy, Mr. Burgess was active in Boy Scouts, where he earned the distinguished rank of Eagle Scout; he graduated from West Aurora High School in 1938, where he was a member of the National Honor Society, Captain of the basketball team, and active in football, track, drama, and numerous other activities; and

WHEREAS, In 1939, he matriculated to Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he was a member of Army ROTC, a member of Chi Psi Fraternity, and Captain of the varsity basketball team; his honors included selection to Red Key, Junior and Senior Honorary Society, Sphinx Head, L'Ogive (architectural honorary society), Beth'L Amed, and Cornell Officers' Club; he earned an MBA from the University of Chicago in 1959; and

WHEREAS, In 1942, Mr. Burgess was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Field Artillery, and was assigned to the U.S. Army's last active horse artillery unit stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma; four years of active duty ensued with assignments including mechanized and armored artillery, tank destroyer duty, gunnery instructor at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, and finally duty in the South Pacific Theater preparing for the invasion of Japan; his active duty culminated with an occupation unit in Japan in September of 1945, when he was discharged as a Captain in the U.S. Army; and

WHEREAS, Upon release from active duty, Mr. Burgess joined his family's business, Burgess-Norton Mfg. Co., in Geneva, and by 1968, he had worked his way up to Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing; during a business career which spanned 36 years, he was active in several industrial organizations, chief among which was the Farm and Industrial Equipment Institute (FIEI), comprised of all the leading manufacturers of agricultural and construction equipment worldwide; he served as President and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Auxiliary of the Institute and was made an Honorary Member of the Institute, thereafter; and

WHEREAS, He married Mary Lou Cooper in May, 1942; they first met in 1934 in dancing school; she was a brave and caring "Army wife" for four years; the couple celebrated 62 years of marriage in May of 2004; and

WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Burgess resided in Geneva from 1946 to 2000, living first on River Street, then at the corner of South and Seventh Streets, and finally in "The Mews" on Seventh Street, which Mr. Burgess developed and built in the early 1980s; in 2000, Mr. Burgess and his wife moved to "The Holmstad" in Batavia; and

WHEREAS, During those 54 years, they were active participants in many Geneva activities and organizations; Mr. Burgess was a Precinct Committeeman, President and a Trustee of Community Hospital of Geneva, and a director of Delnor-Community Hospital; he was twice President of Geneva Golf Club, where he won many golf competitions; he was President of Geneva Community Chest, member of First Congregational Church, and President and board member of Geneva Park District for 27 years, during which time the Park District was founded; his service to the Park District was honored in May of 2002, when Geneva's newest park was named for him; he received the first "William Barth Award" from the Tri-City Family Services for community service in 1988, and in 1997, the "Howell Worth Murray Award" from his fraternity for community service; when it came time to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the founding of the United States, Mr. Burgess assumed the Chairmanship of Geneva's Bicentennial Commission, and was later Chairman of the Fund Development Committee for Geneva's Sesquicentennial Commission; and

WHEREAS, He was a member of Fox River Geneva Post 75 of the American Legion for 59 years, Veterans of Foreign Wars for 44 years, the 40 & 8, Lions Club for 58 years, life member of Geneva Chamber of Commerce, and Third Street Merchants Association, during ownership of Robins Bookshop; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Frank K. Burgess has been deeply felt by many, especially his dear wife of 63 years, Mary Lou; his daughter, Nancy Burgess True (John); his sons, Peter Kendall (Nancy), Bradford Cooper (Claudia), and Craig McFetridge (Debra); his ten grandchildren; his four great-grandchildren; his brother, Robert Charles and his wife, Marirose; his nephew; his two nieces; and their five children; his cousin, John E. Burgess and his wife, Christl, and their two children and four grandchildren; he was preceded in death by his father and mother, Charles M. and Ruth K. Burgess, and by his in-laws, Mr. and Mrs. Edward H. Cooper; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Frank K. Burgess, and we 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 his family as an expression of our deepest sympathy for their loss.