SR0089 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0089 LRB094 11267 CSA 42104 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Perry and Franklin County residents mourn the death of Jack Licata, a man whose life was woven into the fabric of both counties; and

WHEREAS, Jack Licata, a lifelong Du Quoin resident, longtime member of the school board, sports booster, and Franklin County engineer since 1972, died February 17, 2005; and

WHEREAS, He was born January 10, 1929, in Du Quoin to Antonio Licata and Mary Pizzolatto; he married Betty Keeler on October 18, 1952, in Du Quoin; and

WHEREAS, He attended college on the GI Bill and received a degree in civil engineering; he established a scholarship for students interested in engineering or math-related fields; he was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church; he was also a member of American Legion Post 647, Knights of Columbus Council 1298, and several civil engineering organizations; he was a former school board member (School District Board of Education from 1972-1993) and he was a veteran of the United States Army, having served in World War II; and

WHEREAS, It was said of Jack that if someone had a problem, they went to Jack for advice or help; it did not matter to him who someone was or what they had or who he had to go up against; if he thought it was right, he did it; he would speak his mind and everybody respected him for that; he was a good voice for the County residents and will be totally impossible to replace; and

WHEREAS, He will be remembered as a straight shooter; his word was gold; he was relentless when it came to solving problems and building bridges; he built over 200 bridges in Franklin County and assisted other counties, cities, and villages; a million dollar bridge project is awarded each year to one county; he worked for eight years to bring the project to Franklin County, and the bridge project is near completion at West Frankfort City Lake; and

WHEREAS, He always tried to get the most out of the taxpayers' money; he did so many things for Franklin County that went beyond his job; and he saved the County untold dollars through strategic planning and the ability to secure state and federal funds; and

WHEREAS, He was an excellent school board member and supportive of Du Quoin schools; he was instrumental in the planning and construction of the Du Quoin Indians football stadium and was a huge backer of high school sports; he remained interested in the school even after he left the school board and was a fixture at Du Quoin ball games; he did a lot of things for people that no one knew about and he helped the school on several different projects; he was very proud of the district and he always wore his Du Quoin hat at the ball games; and

WHEREAS, He and his wife, Betty, had three children who all went on to enjoy successful careers; and

WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his parents; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Jack Licata is felt by all who knew and loved him, especially his wife, Betty; his daughters and one son-in-law, Faye Licata and Carolyn and Matt Arnold; his son and daughter-in-law, Anthony and Susan Licata; his sister, Mary Ingrassia; and his grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Jack Licata and extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and community; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to his family as an expression of our deepest sympathy.