SR0188 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0188 LRB096 12110 KXB 24237 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Thomas F. Bolger of McHenry, who passed away on March 16, 2009; and

WHEREAS, He was born March 11, 1924, the fifth of 10 children, to Thomas A. and Grace Doherty Bolger on an Irish Prairie farm just south of McHenry; after graduating high school at the age of 17, he took a job at McHenry State Bank "until something better came along"; and

WHEREAS, He joined the United States Army in January of 1943, arriving in Liverpool, England, on his 20th birthday; his unit landed in Normandy shortly after the D-Day invasion and was part of the Red Ball Express supporting General Patton's Third Army as it raced east across France; at the conclusion of the war, his unit guarded German officers being tried for war crimes in Luxembourg; and

WHEREAS, After his discharge from the Army with the rank of staff sergeant, he returned to his war-shortened banking career and met his future wife, Kathryn, working in the bookkeeping department of the bank; they married in 1948; he was named president of McHenry State Bank in 1974, a position he held until retirement; in 1980, he was elected the national president of the Independent Bankers Association of America representing 7,800 banks across 48 states; during his tenure, he testified before committees of both houses of Congress and the Illinois Legislature and was invited to participate in President Carter's White House economic summit; he retired from McHenry State Bank in 1993 after a 52-year career; and

WHEREAS, As a lifelong resident, he was a passionate supporter of the McHenry community and took on leadership roles in many charitable and civic organizations, including serving as treasurer of the city of McHenry for 25 years, charter treasurer of McHenry County College, and with his wife, Kathryn, served as national co-chairman of the Marquette University Parents Association; he also was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, the American Legion, the VFW, the McHenry Rotary Club, the McHenry Country Club, the Marian Central Parents Club and the Knights of Columbus; and

WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his parents; and his sisters, Vivian Eastman and Eleanor Sullivan; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Bolger is survived by his wife of 60 years, Kathryn Nye Bolger; his sons, Tom (Lisa) and Dave; his daughters, Cindy (Dan) Schmidt, Mary Ellen (Scott) Stanek, Ann Bolger Cates, and Susan (Jeff) Hamar; his grandsons, Tom (Karen), Michael (Allison), Christopher (Annie), Danny and Timothy Bolger, Joseph (Laura) Schmidt, Peter and Patrick Stanek, and Reynold and Hudson Hamar; his granddaughters, Sarah Schmidt and Kathryn Stanek; and his great-grandson, Thomas Henry Bolger, the seventh generation Thomas Bolger; he also is survived by his brothers, Walter (Madeline) and William (Carol) Bolger; his sisters, Mabel (Richard) Weber, Grace Stilling, Margaret (Richard) Carey, Ann Miller, and Rita (Ray) Gaylord; his brothers-in-law, Richard Eastman and Edwin Sullivan; his sisters-in-law, Shirley Nye and Mary Bauer; and his many nieces and nephews; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends, the passing of Thomas Bolger; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Thomas Bolger as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.