HR0836 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0836 LRB097 20674 KXB 66895 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Lester F. Macko of Cary, who passed away on January 12, 2012; and

WHEREAS, He was born September 2, 1930, to Frank and Anne Macko, and lived his entire life in the Cary and Fox River Grove area; he married Frances Cassell in 1952 and they had 5 children, the late Steven, Anne, Jeff, Leslie, and Carlene Macko; and

WHEREAS, He proudly served in the United States Army as a Private First Class during the Korean War from 1952 to 1954; upon his honorable discharge he became a lifetime member of the Frank H. Nagel Jr. Post of the American Legion in Fox River Grove; and

WHEREAS, Along with his brother, Karl, he founded and operated Macko Brothers Construction in McHenry County; he joined the Cary Fire Protection District in 1963 as a volunteer firefighter; his dedication to fire safety lead to his promotion as Fire Chief in 1975; and

WHEREAS, He was an innovator in the development of emergency medical training of paramedics in the 1970s, helping organize the McHenry/Western Lake County Emergency Medical System, and later helped found the Fire Science program at McHenry College, which continues to provide critical training to firefighters; his leadership lead to the hiring of the Cary Fire Protection District's first full-time paramedic and to the purchase of the District's first Mobile Intensive Care Unit; and

WHEREAS, His leadership was critical as a founding member of McHenry County's Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS Division 5) that provides pre-planned response of fire and rescue services to other communities when a large scale emergency occurs that requires the assistance of other fire departments, and he was an important factor in MABAS-IL becoming a model for other states; and

WHEREAS, His dedication to fire protection and public safety lead to the decisions of his son Steven and his son Jeff in becoming firefighters; and

WHEREAS, He retired from the Cary Fire Protection District after 37 years of service, serving as Chief for 25 years; after his retirement he remained active in the Illinois Fire Chiefs, the McHenry County Fire Chiefs, and the Lake County Fire Chiefs associations, and in 2008, was named Fire Chief Emeritus by the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association; and

WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Frances Macko; his son Steve Macko; and his brother, Karl Macko; and

WHEREAS, Lester Macko is survived by his children, Anne Macko, Jeff Macko, Leslie Macko, and Carlene Macko; his grandchildren, Amy Tamason, Kayla Macko, Stephanie Nommensen, Jeffrey Sandburg, and Carl Macko; his great-grandchildren, Brayden, Dylan, Quinn, and Loralye; his sister, Doris Nastal; and his daughter-in-law, Diane Grever; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family, friends, and all whose lives he touched, the passing of retired Cary Fire Protection District Chief Lester F. Macko; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Lester F. Macko and to the Cary Fire Protection District as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.