SR0921

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SENATE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to  
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learn of the death of
Michael B. Rafferty of Oak Brook, who 
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passed away on October 16, 2008; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Michael B. Rafferty was born in Dublin, Ireland; 
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he left Ireland in the 1950s and worked at an airport in Canada 
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before finding a job as a bartender at the Yankee Clipper (now 
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the Sheraton Yankee Clipper Hotel) in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; 
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and

 
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    WHEREAS, Michael B. Rafferty's skill tending bar in Ft. 
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Lauderdale caught the eye of Illinois businessman Horace 
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Barnhart, who persuaded him to come to Illinois to manage the 
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bar at the Butterfield Country Club in Oak Brook; after 
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Barnhart bought the eatery at 22nd Street and Midwest Road in 
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Oak Brook known as Andy's in the early 1960s, he took Mr. 
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Rafferty with him; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Michael B. Rafferty and his wife bought the 
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restaurant from Barnhart in 1978; after the sale, he made minor 
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changes to the restaurant, remodeling the bar, building a small 
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addition, and adding "Seafood" to the restaurant's name in the 
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mid-1980s; the place was a success, with a dedicated group of 
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regulars who populated its 100-seat lounge; on St. Patrick's 
 


 






SR0921
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Day, Mr. Rafferty brought in Irish dancers and other 
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entertainment, a celebration that resulted in about 1,500 
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customers coming through to eat, drink, and carouse; and

 
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    WHEREAS, After Michael B. Rafferty's son, Dan Sanders, was 
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killed in a plane accident in 1998, he sold the restaurant that 
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same year and the building was torn down; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Michael B. Rafferty is survived by his wife, 
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Nancy; his sons, Scott Sanders and Michael; his daughter, Lisa 
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Nickey; his brothers, William, Noel, and Thomas; his sister, 
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Marie Plunkett; and his eight grandchildren; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL 
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ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with 
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his family and friends, the passing of Michael B. Rafferty; and 
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be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to the family of Michael B. Rafferty as an expression 
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of our sympathy.