SR1090 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1090 LRB096 24555 KXB 44376 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Dr. Robert L. Johnson, Sr. of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Robert Johnson was born in Helena, Arkansas on July 27, 1930; he was one of five children born to Joe Johnson, Sr. and Catherine Chatman Johnson; he attended Helena schools and graduated from Eliza Miller High School in Helena, Arkansas; and

WHEREAS, His love of learning and football led him to attend Xavier University on a football scholarship where he met his soul-mate, Mercedes Sylvest, who would later become his wife and mother of their five daughters and one son; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Johnson received his Master of Science degree from the University of Chicago in 1954, and later graduated from the Illinois College of Optometry in 1960; in 1959, he co-founded Plano Child Development Center and as President of Plano, thousands of families have seen remarkable improvements in school achievement and behavior through low-cost and sometimes free vision health education, vision exams, and vision therapy; and

WHEREAS, As a community activist, Dr. Johnson helped to elect Mayor Harold Washington the first African-American mayor of Chicago, and his childhood friend, President John H. Stroger, Jr. the first African-American president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, along with other local politicians; and

WHEREAS, In the 1970s, he organized Vision Health Management Systems Inc., a vision Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) in Chicago, Washington, DC, New Orleans, and Atlanta, serving thousands of employees in city, county, and State governments; and

WHEREAS, He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the Optometric Extension Program (OEP), the Illinois Optometric Association (IOA), the American Optometric Association (AOA), the National Optometric Association (NOA), and the College of Vision Development (COVD); and

WHEREAS, Because of his expertise in the area of vision, he served as a consultant to the Woodlawn Experimental School Project and the Chicago Board of Education Area A School Mental Health Project to Advance Creativity in Education; he served as a consultant for "Project Healthy" which evaluated the effectiveness of the Headstart Program; he served as a consultant for the U.S. Postal Service to establish vision standards of certain job categories; and he was the first African-American to receive a fellowship in the College of Vision Development (COVD); and

WHEREAS, He organized an associate degree program for training of optometric technicians that graduated some of the first minority technicians in the field; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Johnson was a faithful member of Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, located on Chicago's Southside, where he served many years as Chairman of the Trustee Board until his death; and

WHEREAS, Because of his unselfish contributions to individuals and groups in all walks of life, he received many accolades from professional, civic, educational, and religious organizations; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Robert L. Johnson was preceded in death by his daughter Carol (husband, Larry) Fitzgerald; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Dr. Robert L. Johnson will be felt by all who knew and loved him, especially his wife of 58 years, Mercedes; his children, Valerie (husband, Norman, Sr.) Thomas; Stephanie (husband, Perry) Brown; Robert, Jr.; Kimberly (husband, Byron) Henry; and Paula (husband, Samuel II) Jones; he also leaves ten grandchildren to mourn his passing, Larry Jr., Crystal, Marcus, Samuel III, Robert, Candice, Norman, Jasmine, Gabrielle, and Kyle; and two great-grandchildren, Devin and Jaylen; his siblings, Joerean (husband, Walter, deceased) Mills; Samuel (wife, Susie, deceased) Johnson; Joe L. Johnson; and Doris Kennebrew; and many other relatives and special friends; 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 Robert L. Johnson, Sr.; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Dr. Robert L. Johnson, Sr., as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.